
FLORENCE 




Class 

Book 



I 






FLORENCE 



GRANT ALLEN'S HISTORICAL GUIDE 
BOOKS TO THE PRINCIPAL CITIES OF 
EUROPE TREATING CONCISELY AND 
THOROUGHLY OF THE PRINCIPAL 
HISTORIC AND ARTISTIC POINTS 
OF INTEREST THEREIN 




NEW YORK 

A. WESSELS COMPANY 

1900 



(,1.4-sS 
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INTRODUCTION 

THE object and plan of these Historical Handbooks is 
somewhat different from that of any other guides at 
present before the public. They do not compete or clash 
with such existing works ; they are rather intended to 
supplement than to supplant them. My purpose is not to 
direct the stranger through the streets and squares of an 
unknown town towards the buildings or sights which he 
may desire to visit ; still less is it my design to give him 
practical information about hotels, cab fares, omnibuses, tram- 
ways, and other every-day material conveniences. For such 
details, the traveller must still have recourse to the trusty 
pages of his Baedeker, his Joanne, or his Murray. I desire 
rather to supply the tourist who wishes to use his travel as a 
means of culture with such historical and antiquarian in- 
formation as will enable him to understand, and therefore to 
enjoy, the architecture, sculpture, painting, and minor arts of 
the towns he visits. In one word, it is my object to give the 
reader in a very compendious form the result of all those 
inquiries which have naturally suggested themselves to my 
own mind during thirty-five years of foreign travel, the solution 
of which has cost myself a good deal of research, thought, and 
labour, beyond the facts which I could find in the ordinary 
handbooks. 

For several years past I have devoted myself to collecting 
and arranging material for a set of books to embody the idea 



6 INTRODUCTION 

I had thus entertained. I earnestly hope they may meet a 
want on the part of tourists, especially Americans, who, so far 
as my experience goes, usually come to Europe with an honest 
and reverent desire to learn from the Old World whatever of 
value it has to teach them, and who are prepared to take an 
amount of pains in turning their trip to good account which 
is both rare and praiseworthy For such readers I shall call 
attention at times to other sources of information. 

These guide-books will deal more particularly with the Great 
Towns where objects of art and antiquity are numerous. 
In every one of them, the general plan pursued will be some- 
what as follows. First will come the inquiry why a town ever 
gathered together at all at that particular spot — what induced 
the aggregation of human beings rather there than elsewhere. 
Next, we shall consider why that town grew to social or political 
importance and what were the stages by which it assumed its 
present shape. Thirdly, we shall ask why it gave rise to that 
higher form of handicraft which we know as Art, and towards 
what particular arts it especially gravitated. After that, we 
shall take in detail the various strata of its growth or develop- 
ment, examining the buildings and works of art which they 
contain in historical order, and, as far as possible, tracing the 
causes which led to their evolution. In particular, we shall 
lay stress upon the origin and meaning of each structure as 
an organic whole, and upon the allusions or symbols which 
its fabric embodies. 

A single instance will show the method upon which I intend 
to proceed better than any amount of general description. 
A church, as a rule, is built over the body or relics of a 
particular saint, in whose special honour it was originally 
erected. That saint was usually one of great local importance 
at the moment of its erection, or was peculiarly implored 



INTRODUCTION 7 

against plague, foreign enemies, or some other pressing and 
dreaded misfortune. In dealing with such a church, then, I 
endeavour to show what were the circumstances which led to 
its erection, and what memorials of these circumstances it still 
retains. In other cases it may derive its origin from some 
special monastic body — Benedictine, Dominican, Franciscan — 
and may therefore be full of the peculiar symbolism and his- 
torical allusion of the order who founded it. Wherever I have 
to deal with such a church, I try as far as possible to exhibit 
the effect which its origin had upon its architecture and decora- 
tion ; to trace the image of the patron saint in sculpture or 
stained glass throughout the fabric ; and to set forth the con- 
nection of the whole design with time and place, with order 
and purpose. In short, instead of looking upon monuments 
of the sort mainly as the product of this or that architect, I 
look upon them rather as material embodiments of the spirit 
of the *age — crystallizations, as it were, in stone and bronze, in 
form and colour, of great popular enthusiasms. 

By thus concentrating attention on what is essential and 
important in a town, I hope to give in a comparatively short 
space, though with inevitable conciseness, a fuller account than 
is usually given of the chief architectural and monumental 
works of the principal art-cities. In dealing with Paris, for 
example, I shall have little to say about such modern con- 
structions as the Champs Elysees or the Eiffel Tower ; still 
less, of course, about the Morgue, the Catacombs, the waxworks 
of the Musee Grevin, and the celebrated Excursion in the Paris 
Sewers. The space thus saved from vulgar wonders I shall 
hope to devote to fuller explanation of Notre-Dame and the 
Sainte Chapelle, of the mediaeval carvings or tapestries of 
Cluny, and of the pictures or sculptures in the galleries of the 
Louvre. Similarly in Florence, whatever I save from descnp- 



8 INTRODUCTION 

tion of the Cascine and even of the beautiful Viale dei Colli 
(where explanation is needless and word-painting superfluous), 
I shall give up to the Bargello, the Uffizi, and the Pitti Palace. 
The passing life of the moment does not enter into my plan ; 
I regard each town I endeavour to illustrate mainly as a 
museum of its own history 

For this reason, too, I shall devote most attention in every 
case to what is locally illustrative, and less to what is merely 
adventitious and foreign. In Paris, for instance, I shall have 
more to say about truly Parisian art and history, as embodied 
in St. Denis, the tie de la Cite, and the shrine of Ste. Genevieve, 
than about the Egyptian and Assyrian collections of the Louvre. 
In Florence, again, I shall deal rather with the Etruscan re- 
mains, with Giotto and Fra Angelico, with the Duomo and the 
Campanile, than with the admirable Memlincks and Rubenses 
of the Uffizi and the Pitti, or with the beautiful Van der Goes 
of the Hospital of Santa Maria. In Bruges and Brussels, 
once more, I shall be especially Flemish ; in the Rhine towns, 
Rhenish ; in Venice, Venetian. I shall assign a due amount 
of space, indeed, to the foreign collections, but I shall call 
attention chiefly to those monuments or objects which are of 
entirely local and typical value. 

As regards the character of the information given, it will be 
mainly historical, antiquarian, and, above all, explanatory. 
I am not a connoisseur — an adept in the difficult modern 
science of distinguishing the handicraft of various masters, in 
painting or sculpture, by minute signs and delicate inferential 
processes. In such matters, I shall be well content to follow 
the lead of the most authoritative experts. Nor am I an art- 
critic — a student versed in the technique of the studios and the 
dialect of the modelling-room. In such matters, again, I shall 
attempt little more than to accept the general opinion of the 



INTRODUCTION 9 

most discriminative judges. What I aim at rather is to expound 
the history and meaning of each work— to put the intelligent 
reader in such a position that he may judge for himself of the 
aesthetic beauty and success of the object before him. To 
recognise the fact that this is a Perseus and Andromeda, that 
a St. Barbara enthroned, the other an obscure episode in the 
legend of St. Philip, is not art-criticism, but it is often an almost 
indispensable prelude to the formation of a right and sound 
judgment. We must know what the artist was trying to repre- 
sent before we can feel sure what measure of success he has 
attained in his representation. 

For the general study of Christian art, alike in architecture, 
sculpture, and painting,' no treatises are more useful for the 
tourist to carry with him for constant reference than Mrs. 
Jameson's Sacred and Legendary Art, and Legends of the 
Madonna (London, Longmans). For works of Italian art, both 
in Italy and elsewhere, Kugler's Italian Schools of Painting is 
an invaluable vade-mecum. These books should be carried 
about by everybody everywhere. Other works of special and 
local importance will occasionally be noticed under each par- 
ticular city, church, or museum. 

I cannot venture to hope that handbooks containing such 
a mass of facts as these will be wholly free from errors and 
misstatements, above all in early editions. I can only beg 
those who may detect any such to point them out, without 
unnecessary harshness, to the author, care of the publisher, 
and if possible to assign reasons for any dissentient opinion. 



CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Introduction .•••••••• 5 

How to Use these Guide-Books I2 

Origins of Florence *3 

I Santa Croce and the Franciscan Quarter . 18 
II Santa Maria Novella and the First Dominican 

Quarter • • 33 

III The Cathedral Group 5 2 

IV The Second Dominican Quarter: San Marco . 72 
V The Belle Arti 88 

VI The Uffizi, Etc I28 

VII The Pitti Palace l8 4 

VIII The Bargello 20 5 

IX Or San Michele 22 3 

X San Miniato 2 3° 

XI The Etruscan Museum .... • • 2 3 8 

XII The Residuum 2 44 



HOW TO USE THESE GUIDE- 
BOOKS 

rH ' E portions of this book intended to be read at 
leisure at home, before proceeding to explore each 
town or monument, are enclosed in brackets [thus]. 
The portion relating to each principal object should 
be quietly read and digested before a visit, and re- 
ferred to again afterwards. The portion to be read on 
the spot is made as brief as possible, and is printed in 
large legible type, so as to be easily read in the dun light of 
churches, chapels, and galleries. The key = note words are 
printed in bold type, to catch the eye. Where objects are 
numbered, the numbers used are always those of the latest 
official catalogues. 

Baedeker's Guides are so printed that each principal por- 
tion can be detached entire froin the volume. The traveller 
who uses Baedeker is advised to carry in his pocket one 
such portion, referring to the place he is then visiting, to- 
gether with the plan of the town, while carrying this book 
in his hand. These Guides do not profess to supply prac- 
tical information. 

Individual works oj 7nerit are distinguished by an aster- 
isk (*)/ those of very exceptional interest and merit have 
two asterisks. Nothing is noticed in this book which does 
not seem to the writer worthy of attention. 

See little at a time, and see it thoroughly. Never attei?ipt 
to "do" any place or any monument By following strictly 
the order iii which objects are noticed in this book, you will 
gain a co?iception of the historical evolution of the town 
which you cannot obtain if you go about looking at churches 
and palaces hap-hazard. The order is arranged, not quite 
chronologically, but on a definite plan, which great ly facili- 
tates comprehension of the subject. 



ORIGINS OF FLORENCE 

ONLY two considerable rivers flow from the Apen- 
nines westward into the Mediterranean. The Tiber 
makes Rome ; the Arno makes Florence. 

In prehistoric and early historic times, the mountainous 
region which forms the basin of these two rivers was 
occupied by a gifted military race, the Etruscans, who 
possessed a singular assimilative power for Oriental and 
Hellenic culture. Intellectually and artistically, they were 
the pick of Italy. Their blood still runs in the veins of the 
people of Tuscany. Almost every great thing done in the 
Peninsula, in ancient or modern times, has been done by 
Etruscan hands or brains. The poets and painters, in 
particular, with few exceptions, have been, in the wide 
ethnical sense, Tuscans. 

The towns of ancient Etruria were hill-top strongholds. 
Florence was not one of these ; even its neighbour, Fiesole 
(Faesulae) did not rank among the twelve great cities of the 
Etruscan league. But with the Roman conquest and the 
Roman peace, the towns began to descend from their 
mountain peaks into the river valleys ; roads grew impor- 
tant, through internal trade ; and bridges over rivers 
assumed a fresh commercial value. Florence (Florentia), 
probably founded under Sulla as a Roman municipium, 
upon a Roman road, guarded the bridge across the Arno, 
and gradually absorbed the population of Fiesole. Under 
the later empire, it was the official residence of the " Cor- 
rector" of Tuscany and Umbria. During the Middle Ages, 
it became for all practical purposes the intellectual and 
artistic capital of Tuscany, inheriting in full the remark- 
able mental and aesthetic excellences of the Etruscan race. 



14 FLORENCE 

The valley of the Arno is rich and fertile, bordered by 
cultivable hills, which produce the famous Chianti wine. 
It was thus predestined by nature as the seat of the second 
city on the west slope of Italy. Florence, however, was not 
always that city. The seaport of Pisa (now silted up and 
superseded by Leghorn) first rose into importance ; possessed 
a powerful fleet ; made foreign conquests ; and erected the 
magnificent group of buildings just outside the town which 
still form its chief claim upon the attention of tourists. But 
Florence with its bridge commanded the inland trade, and 
the road to Rome from Germany. After the destruction ot 
Fiesole in 1125, it grew rapidly in importance; and, Pisa 
having sustained severe defeats from Genoa, the inland 
town soon rose to supremacy in the Arno basin. Nominally 
subject to the Emperor, it became practically an independ- 
ent republic, much agitated by internal quarrels, but capable 
of holding its own against neighbouring cities. Its chief 
buildings are thus an age or two later than those of Pisa ; 
it did not begin to produce splendid churches and palaces, 
in emulation of those of Pisa and Siena, till about the close 
of the 13th century. To the same period belongs the rise 
of its literature, under Dante, and its painting under Giotto. 
This epoch of rapid commercial, military, and artistic 
development forms the main glory of early Florence. 

The fourteenth century is chiefly interesting at Florence 
as the period of Giottesque art, finding its final crown in Fra 
Angelico. With the beginning of the 1 5th, we get the dawn 
of the Renaissance — the age when art set out once more 
to recover the lost perfection of antique workmanship. In 
literature, this movement took the form of humanism ; in 
architecture and sculpture, it exhibited itself in the persons 
of Alberti, Ghiberti, Delia Robbia, and Donatello ; in paint- 
ing, it showed itself in Lippi, Botticelli, Ghirlandajo, and 
Verrocchio. I shall not attempt to set forth here the 
gradual stages by which these arts advanced to the height 
at length attained by Leonardo, Michael Angelo, and 
Raphael ; I shall take it for granted that my readers will 
read up such questions for themselves in Kugler and Layard 



ORIGINS OF FLORENCE 15 

or other high-class authorities. Nor shall I endeavour to 
trace the rise of the dynasty of the Medici, whose influence 
was so great upon the artistic expression of their country ; 
the limits of space which I have imposed upon myself here 
render such treatment impossible. I will rather proceed at 
once to my detailed examination of the chief existing 
monuments of Florence in roughly chronological order, 
leaving these other facts to exhibit themselves piecemeal 
in their proper place, in connection with the buildings or 
pictures of the city. For in Florence more than elsewhere 
I must beg the reader to excuse the needful brevity which 
the enormous mass of noble works to be explained in this 
richest of art-cities inevitably entails upon me. 

We start, then, with the fact that up to nearly the close of 
the 13th century (1278) Florence was a comparatively small 
and uninteresting town, without any buildings of importance, 
save the relatively insignificant Baptistery ; without any 
great cathedral, like Pisa and Siena ; without any splendid 
artistic achievement of any kind. It consisted at that period 
of a labyrinth of narrow streets, enclosing huddled houses 
and tall towers of the nobles, like the two to be seen to this 
day at Bologna. In general aspect, it could not greatly 
have differed from Albenga or San Gimignano in our own 
time. But commerce was active ; wealth was increasing ; 
and the population was seething with the intellectual and 
artistic spirit of its Etruscan ancestry. During the lifetime 
of Dante, the town began to transform itself and to prepare 
for becoming the glorious Florence of the Renaissance 
artists. It then set about building two immense and beauti- 
ful churches — Santa Croce and Santa Maria Novella — 
while, shortly after, it grew to be ashamed of its tiny San 
Giovanni (the existing Baptistery), and girded itself up to 
raise a superb Cathedral, which should cast into the shade 
both the one long since finished at maritime Pisa, and the 
one then still rising to completion on the height of Siena. 

Florence at that time extended no further than the area 
known as Old Florence, extending from the Ponte Vecchio 
to the Cathedral in one direction, and from the Ponte alia 



1 6 FLORENCE 

Car-raja to the Grazie in the other. Outside the wall lay a 
belt of fields and gardens, in which one or two monasteries 
had already sprung up. But Italy at that moment was 
filled with religious enthusiasm by the advent of the Friars, 
both great orders of whom, the Franciscans and the 
Dominicans, had already established themselves in the 
rising commercial city of Florence. Both orders had 
acquired sites for monastic buildings in the space outside 
the walls, and soon began to erect enormous churches. The 
Dominicans came first, with Santa Maria Novella, the com- 
mencement of which dates from 1278 ; the Franciscans were 
a little later in the field, with Santa Croce, the first stone 
not being placed till 1294. Nevertheless, though the 
Dominican church is thus a few years the earlier of the two, 
I propose to begin my survey of the town with its Francis- 
can rival, because the paintings and works of art of Santa 
Croce are older on the whole than those of Santa Maria, 
and because the tourist is thus better introduced to the 
origins and evolution of Florentine art. 

Remember, in conclusion, that Florence in Dante's day 
was a small town, with little beauty, and no good building 
save the (since much embellished) Baptistery ; but that 
during Dante's lifetime the foundations were laid of Santa 
Maria, Santa Croce, and the great Cathedral. We shall 
have to trace the subsequent development of the town from 
these small beginnings. 

The Roman name Florentia passed into Fiorenza in 
mediaeval times, and is now Firenze. 

From a very early date, St. John Baptist (to whom the 
original Cathedral was dedicated) has been the patron 
saint of Florence. Whenever you meet him in Florentine 
art, he stands for the city, as St. Mark does for Venice, or 
the figure of Britannia for our own island. 

St. Cosmo and St. Damian, the holy doctors, and 
therefore patron saints of the Medici family, and 
especially of Cosmo de' Medici, also meet us at every turn. 
They represent the ruling family, and may be recognised 
by their red robes and caps, and their surgical instruments. 



ORIGINS OF FLORENCE 1 7 

Saint Lawrence is also a great Medici Saint : in early works, 
he represents Lorenzo de' Medici the elder, the brother of 
Cosmo (1395-1440:) in later ones, he stands for Lorenzo the 
Magnificent (1449-92.) Observe for yourself which of the 
two the dates in each case show to be intended. 

Santa Reparata, the old patroness of the city, and San 
Zanobi, its sainted bishop, are also frequent objects in early 
painting and sculpture in Florence. 

If you visit the various objects in the order here 
enumerated, you will get a better idea of the development 
of Florence and of Florentine art than you could possibly 
do by hap-hazard sight-seeing. Also, you will find the 
earlier steps explain the later. But there can be no harm 
in examining the picture-galleries side by side with the 
churches, especially if dark or wet days confine you ; pro- 
vided always you begin with the Belle Arti, which 
contains the A B C of Tuscan and Umbrian panel-painting. 
From it you can go on to the Uffizi and the Pitti. 



I 

SANTA CROCE 

AND THE FRANCISCAN QUARTER 

["QT. FRANCIS of Assisi, the Apostle of the Poor, died 
Lw3 in 1226, and was promptly canonised in 1228. His 
followers spread at once over every part of Italy, choosing in 
each town the poorest quarters, and ministering to the spiri- 
tual and temporal needs of the lowest classes. They were 
representatives of Works, as the Dominicans of Faith. In 
1294, (some 16 years later than the Dominicans at 
Santa Maria Novella) they began to erect a church at 
Florence, outside the walls, on the poorer side of the city, 
close by their monastery. It was dedicated under the name 
of Santa Croce, and shortly adorned by Giotto and his 
pupils with beautiful frescoes, the finest works of art yet 
seen in Italy. Two things must thus be specially borne in 
mind about this church : (1) it is a church of the Holy 
Cross, whose image and history meet one in it at every 
turn ; (2) it is a Franciscan church, and therefore it is 
largely occupied with the glorification of St. Francis and 
of the order he founded. Their coarse brown robes appear 
in many of the pictures. Look out for their great saints, 
Bernardino of Siena, Louis of Toulouse, Antony of Padua, 
etc. 

The Franciscans were a body of popular preachers. 
Hence, in their church, the immense nave, which includes 
the pulpit, was especially important. It was designed to 
accommodate large numbers of hearers. But its width and 
empty spaces also gave free room for many burials ; whence 
Santa Croce became one of the principal churches in 

18 



I.] SANTA CROCE 1 9 

Florence for interments. In time, it grew to be the re- 
cognised Pantheon or " Westminster Abbey " of the town, 
where men of literary, scientific, or political importance 
were laid to rest : and its numerous monuments have thus 
a sentimental interest for those who care for such memorials. 
But it would be a great mistake to regard Santa Croce 
entirely or even mainly from the point of view of a national 
Walhalla, as is too often done by tourists. Its real interest 
lies rather in the two points noted above, and in the admir- 
able works of art with which it is so abundantly supplied, 
especially in the chapels of the various great families who 
favoured the order. 

The general design is by Arnolfo di Cambio, who at 
the same time was employed in designing the Cathedral. 
Begun, 1294 ; finished, 1442. It is the best museum for 
the Florentine art of the 14th century. 

See it by morning light. Choose a bright morning. 
Take your opera-glasses.] 

Go past the Cathedral and the Signoria, and then dive 
down the narrow Borgo de' Greci, through the tangled 
streets of the Old Town, (which note as characteristic) till 
you arrive at the Piazza Santa Croce. In the centre of 
the square stands a modern statue of Dante, turning his 
back on the church which he never really saw. Its walls 
were only rising a few feet high when the poet was banished 
from Florence. 

Proceed first to the north side of the church, to view the 
exterior of the mediaeval building, now much obscured by 
the later Renaissance loggia. Little of the primitive design 
is at present visible. Notice the bare brick architecture, 
intended to be later incased in marble. Observe also the 
smallness, infrequency, and height from the ground of the 
windows, and the extreme difference in this respect from 
the vast stained-glass-containing arches of northern Gothic. 
Here, the walls themselves support most of the weight, instead 
of leaving it to buttresses as in France and England. This 
wealth of wall, however, with the smallness of the windows, 



20 FLORENCE [i. 

permits of the large development of fresco-painting within, 
which is characteristic of Italian buildings : it also allows 
room for the numerous monuments. Note at the same 
time the short transept and small rose window. 

Now, go round again to the front. The facade, long left 
unfinished, was encrusted with marble in 1857, by the munifi- 
cence of . Sloane, an Englishman, after a Renaissance 
design. / to be by Cronaca, modified by the modern 
archie 'A. Matas. The nave and aisles have separate 
gables. Notice, throughout, the frequent occurrence of the 
Holy Cross, sustained over the main gable by two angels ; 
flanked, on the two lesser gables, by the Alpha and Omega ; 
and re-appearing many times elsewhere in the general 
decoration. The modern reliefs over the doors represent, 
L, the Discovery of the True Cross (Sarrocchi :) centre, the 
Adoration of the Cross (Dupre :) R, the Cross appearing in 
Heaven to Constantine, and so imposing itself as the symbol 
of the official religion of the Roman Empire (Zucchi). 
Observe the fine Renaissance work of the doorways, with 
the Alpha and Omega again displayed. High up on the 
front, over the rose window, is the monogram IHS, intro- 
duced by the great Franciscan saint, San Bernardino di 
Siena. His original example is preserved within. The 
right side of the church is enclosed by the former buildings 
of the monastery. 

Now, enter the church. The interior is at first sight 
bare and simple to the degree of positive disappointment. 
The Franciscans, vowed to poverty, were not a wealthy 
body. Begin by walking up the centre of the nave, to 
observe the simple aisles, (with no side chapels) the short 
transepts, the impressive but by no means large Gothic 
choir, (of Arnolfo's period) and the ten chapels, built out 
from the transept, as in continuation or doubling of the 
choir, all of which are characteristic features of this age of 
Italian Gothic. Each of these chapels was the property of 
some great mediaeval family, such as the Bardi or the 
Peruzzi. Observe also the plain barn-like wooden roof, so 
different from the beautiful stone vaulting of northern cathe- 



I.] SANTA CROCE 21 

drals. Architecturally, this very simple interior is severe 
but interesting. 

Now, go down again to the door by which you entered, 
and proceed along the R aisle, to observe the various 
objects it contains in detail. 

I will dwell upon the monuments very briefly, as mere 
excrescences upon the original building. 

Michael Angelo Buonarotti, R, buried \ v. Died 
at Rome, 1564. General design by Vasari ; b» * Bat- 

tista Lorenzi ; figure of Architecture by Giovanni delP 
Opera ; Painting by Lorenzi ; Sculpture by Cioli. Preten- 
tious and feeble. 

Pillar L, "^Madonna and Child (Madonna del Latte) 
part of the monument of Francesco Nori, by Antonio Ros- 
sellino, 15th cent. ; extremely beautiful. 

R, Dante's cenotaph. The poet is buried at Ravenna. 

L, on a column, the famous *pulpit, by Benedetto da 
Majano, said to be the most beautiful in Italy, though far 
inferior in effect to that of Niccolo Pisano at Pisa. Its 
supports are of delicate Renaissance work. The subjects of 
the reliefs (Franciscan, of course) are, the Confirmation of 
the Franciscan order, Burning immoral books, St. Francis 
receiving the Stigmata, Death of St. Francis, and Martyr- 
dom of Franciscan Saints. Notice the hand holding out 
the Holy Cross from the pulpit, here more appropriate than 
elsewhere. The statuettes beneath represent Faith, Hope, 
Charity, Courage, and Justice. 

R, opposite it, monument of Alfieri, erected for his 
mistress, the Countess of Albany, by Canova. 

Macchiavelli, died 1527 : monument erected in 1787. 

Lanzi, the historian of art. 

A fresco, by Andrea del Castagno, with St. John Baptist, 
as patron saint of Florence, and St. Francis, as representing 
the present church and order. This alone now remains of 
all the frescoes of the nave, cleared away by the Goths of 
the 17th cent. 

Near it, exquisite ^Annunciation by Donatello, of 
pietra serena y gilt, in a charming Renaissance frame ; 



22 FLORENCE [i. 

perhaps the most beautiful object in the whole church. 
Notice the speaking positions of the angel and Our Lady, 
the usual book and prie-dieu, and the exquisite shrinking 
timidity of the Madonna's attitude. Worth all the tombs 
put together. 

Over the door, the Meeting of St. Francis and St. 
Dominic. Compare with the Delia Robbia at the Hospital 
of San Paolo, near Santa Maria Novella. 

Beautiful Renaissance tomb of Leonardo Bruni, by 
Bernardo Rossellino — a model afterwards much imitated, 
especially at Venice. 

Turn the corner into the R transept. The first chapel 
on your R, that of the Ho!y Sacrament, is covered with 
much-defaced frescoes by Agnolo Gaddi. (Recollect that 
this church is the great place for studying the early Giot- 
tesque fresco-painters : first, Giotto ; then, his pupil, Taddeo 
Gaddi; next, Taddeo's pupils, Agnolo Gaddi, and Giovanni 
da Milano. See Kugler.) R wall, lives of St. Nicolas 
(first bay) and St. John Baptist (second bay). The most 
distinct of these are (ist) St. Nicolas appearing in a storm 
at sea, (or, restoring the nobleman his drowned son :) and 
(2nd) the Baptism of Christ ; but some of the others can be 
faintly recognised, as at the top, the figure of St. Nicolas 
throwing the three purses of gold as dowries into the window 
of the poor nobleman with three starving daughters. (See 
Mrs. Jameson.) The walls here show well the way in which 
these frescoes were defaced by later additions. L wall, 
lives of St. John the Evangelist and St. Antony, also by 
Agnolo Gaddi. The scene of the Temptation of St. Antony 
is the best preserved of these. Against the pilasters, life- 
size terracotta statues of our Franciscan lights, St. Francis 
and St. Bernardino, by the Delia Robbia. L wall, monu- 
ment of the Countess of Albany. 

End wall of the R transept, good Gothic monument of the 
14th cent, with reliefs of Christ, the Madonna and St. John, 
and a Madonna and Child in fresco above, and exquisite little 
* sculptured angels of the school of Pisa. The Chapel of 
the R transept, known as the Cappella Baroncelli, contains 



I.] SANTA CROCE 23 

admirable ** frescoes from the Life of the Virgin, by 
Taddeo Gaddi. These should all be carefully studied. L 
wall, beginning from above, (as always here) first tier, 
Joachim is expelled by the High Priest from the temple, 
his offering being rejected because he is childless : watching 
his flocks, he perceives the angel who foretells the birth of 
the Virgin. Notice the conventional symbolical open 
temple. (Read the legend later in Mrs. Jameson.) 2nd 
tier, L, the meeting of Joachim and Anna at the Golden 
Gate ; the servant behind carries, as usual, the rejected 
offering : R, the Birth of the Virgin, the child, as always, 
being washed in the foreground. Observe closely the con- 
ventional arrangement, which will re-appear in later 
pictures, yd tier, L, Presentation of the Virgin in the 
Temple by St. Joachim and St. Anna ; the young Madonna 
stands on a single flight of steps (wrongly restored above). 
Carefully study all the details of this fresco, with its 
Romanesque or early Gothic architecture and round arches, 
for comparison with the Giovanni da Milano of the same 
subject, which we will see later. (At three years old, the 
Virgin was consecrated to the service of God by Joachim and 
Anna.) R, the Marriage of the Virgin ; the High Priest 
joining her hand to Joseph's, whose staff has budded, in 
accordance with the legend. (All were placed in the Holy 
of Holies, as in the case of Aaron ; and he whose staff bud- 
ded was to wed the Virgin.) Observe the disappointed 
suitors breaking their staffs, etc. All the incidents are 
stereotyped. This picture should be carefully noted for 
comparison both with the Giovanni da Milano here, and 
with other representations of the Sposalizio elsewhere : {e.g. 
the Raphael at Milan.) I strongly advise very long and 
close study of these frescoes, (some of which are imitated 
directly from Giotto's in the Madonna dell' Arena at Padua,) 
for comparison both with those originals and with the later 
imitations by Giovanni da Milano. They cast a flood of 
light upon the history and evolution of art. Each figure 
and detail will help you to understand other pictures you 
will see hereafter. It is a good plan to get photographs of 



24 FLORENCE [i. 

the series, published by Alinari in the Via Tornabuoni, and 
look at the one series (Gaddi's), with the photographs of 
the other (Giovanni's) in your hands. You cannot over- 
estimate the importance of such comparison. In the two 
Presentations, for example, almost every group is reproduced 
exactly. 

Window wall : above, L, Annunciation ; R, Visitation : 
notice the loggia in the background. These are also most 
illustrative compositions. 2nd tier, L, the angel appears 
to the shepherds ; R, Nativity. 3rd tier, L, the Star appears 
to the Wise Men ; R, the Adoration of the Magi. Notice 
the ages of the Three Kings, representing, as always, the 
three ages of man, and also the three old continents — Europe, 
Asia, Africa. Observe the very Giottesque Madonna and 
Child. This fresco should be compared with the Giotto at 
Padua. 

R wall, fresco by Mainardi : the Madonna ascending in 
a mandorla, escorted by angels from her tomb, which is filled 
with roses, drops the Sacred Girdle, (Sacra Cintola), now 
preserved at Prato, to St. Thomas below. (Go to Prato to 
see it, in order to understand the numerous Sacra Cintola 
pictures in Florence ; and read in Mrs. Jameson, under head, 
St. Thomas.) 

L of this chapel is the door leading to the Sacristy. At 
the end of the corridor is the Cappella Medici, erected by 
Michelozzo for Cosimo de' Medici. It contains many beauti- 
ful objects. R wall, *marble ciborium, by Mino da Fiesole, 
with charming angels and an inscription : " This is the 
living bread which came down from heaven." Giottesque 
Coronation of the Virgin with four saints— conspicuous 
among them, Peter and Lawrence. Over the tomb of 
Lombardi, beautiful *Madonna and angels of the school of 
Donatello. End wall, (our patron) St. Francis with the 
Stigmata. Over the altar, exquisite **terra-cotta Madonna 
of the school of Delia Robbia, (attributed to Luca) being 
crowned by angels, and attended by, L, St. John Baptist as 
representing Florence, R, St. Lawrence (Lorenzo de' Medici), 
St. Francis (for this Franciscan church), and St. Louis of 



I.] SANTA CROCE - 25 

Toulouse, the great Franciscan bishop. L wall, a famous 
Coronation of the Virgin, by Giotto, tender in execution, but 
in his stifTest panel style. It is regarded as a touchstone 
for his critics. Very graceful faces : crowded composition. 
Beyond it, Madonna and Child by the Delia Robbia, and, 
over the doorway, Pieta, by the same, in a frame of fruit. 
Notice these lovely late 15th century majolica objects, 
frequent in Florence. All the works in this very Franciscan 
chapel of the Medici, indeed, deserve close inspection. 
Notice their coat of arms (the pills) over the arch of the 
altar and elsewhere. It will meet you often in Florence. 

Returning along the corridor, to the R, you come to the 
Sacristy, containing many curious early works, all of which 
should be noted, such as the Crucifix bowing to San Giovanni 
Gualberto as he pardons the murderer of his brother, in the 
predella of an altar-piece by Orcagna, to the L as you enter. 
The R wall has frescoes of the Passion, by Niccolo di 
Pietro Gerini, of which the Resurrection, with its sleeping 
soldiers, mandorla (or almond-shaped glory), and red cross 
on white banner, is highly typical. Study all these for their 
conventional features. Notice also the fine roof, and the 
intarsia-work of the seats and boxes. 

A beautiful iron railing of 1371 separates the Sacristy 
from the Cappella Rinuccini, containing, on the L wall, "^fres- 
coes of the Life of the Madonna by Giovanni da Milano, the 
close similarity of which to those by his master, Taddeo Gaddi, 
already observed, should be carefully noticed. The subjects 
are the same : the treatment is very slightly varied : but 
pointed arches replace the round ones. Summit, Joachim 
expelled from the Temple. 2nd tier, L, the angel appears 
to Joachim, and the Meeting of Joachim and Anna at the 
Golden Gate ; R, the Birth of the Virgin ; study the attitudes 
and note the servant bringing in the roast chicken, St. Anne 
washing her hands, etc., of all which motives (older by 
centuries) imitations occur in such later representations of 
the same scene as Ghirlandajo's at Santa Maria Novella. 
yd tier, L, the Presentation in the Temple, with Gothic 
instead of Romanesque arcade and the steps indicating 



26 FLORENCE [i. 

how those in the Taddeo Gaddi originally ran. (Do not 
omit to compare these two by means of photographs.) R, 
Marriage of the Virgin. These two last are specially favour- 
able examples for observing the close way in which Giottesque 
painters reproduced one another's motives. I advise you to 
spend some hours at least in studying and comparing the 
frescoes of this chapel and the Baroncelli. 

On the R wall, scenes from the Life of Mary Magdalen, 
(to whom this chapel is dedicated). Summit, she washes 
the feet of Christ ; notice the seven devils escaping from the 
roof. 2nd tier, L, Christ in the house of Mary and Martha ; 
observe Martha's quaintly speaking attitude ; R, the Resur- 
rection of Lazarus. 3rd tier, L, Christ and the Magdalen 
in the garden, with the women and angels at the tomb ; R, a 
miracle of the Magdalen in Provence (see Mrs. Jameson:) 
she restores to life the wife of a nobleman of Marseilles — a 
very long story : this fresco is to my mind obviously by 
another hand : it lacks the simplicity and force of Giovanni. 
Observe also the fine altar-piece, with the Madonna and 
Child, flanked by St. John Baptist and St. Francis, as repre- 
senting Florence and the Franciscan order : then, St. John 
the Evangelist, and Mary Magdalen, patroness of the 
chapel : and, in the predella, scenes from their lives. 

Emerge from the Sacristy. Now take the chapels in line 
with the choir. The first chapel contains faded frescoes, 
said to be of the age of Cimabue, (more likely by a pupil of 
Giotto) representing the combat of St. Michael and the 
Devils, which seem to have suggested the admirable Spinello 
Aretino of the same subject in the National Gallery in 
London. 

Second chapel: uninteresting. 

Third chapel, of the Bonaparte family, tawdry. 

**Fourth chapel, the Cappella Peruzzi, (called, like the 
others, after the family of the owners) contains the famous 
frescoes by Giotto, from the lives of the two St. Johns. L 
wall, St. John Baptist (patron of Florence). Upper tier, the 
angel appears to Zacharias. 2nd tier, R, the Birth of the 
Baptist ; L, he is presented to Zacharias, who writes down, 



I.] SANTA CROCE 27 

" His name is John." 3rd tier, Herodias's daughter receives 
his head, and presents it to her mother. The attitude of the 
player, and the arrangement of the king's table reappear in 
many later compositions. Look out for them hereafter. 
R wall, St. John the Evangelist. Summit, he has the vision 
of the Apocalypse in a quaintly symbolical isle of Patmos. 
2nd tier, he raises Drusiana, an admirable opportunity for 
the study of Giotto's style of drapery. The St. John in 
this fresco already contains premonitions of Masaccio and 
even of Raphael. 3rd tier, he is taken up into heaven by 
Christ in clouds, accompanied by the Patriarchs : a magni- 
ficent dramatic composition. These frescoes, which repre- 
sent the maturest work of Giotto's manhood, should be 
closely studied in every detail. Spend many hours over 
them. Though far less attractive than his naive earlier 
work in the Madonna dell' Arena at Padua, they yet display 
greater mastery of drawing and freedom of movement. Do 
not let one visit suffice for them. Compare them again and 
again with photographs from the Arena, and look out for 
imitations by later painters. Do not overlook the altar= 
piece, by Andrea del Sarto. It represents the two great 
plague-saints — San Rocco and St. Sebastian. The Fran- 
ciscans were great nursers of the plague-stricken, and this 
altar was one where vows were offered for recovery. 

Fifth chapel, the Cappella Bardi, contains other frescoes, 
also by Giotto, (unfortunately over-restored) of the Life of 
St. Francis. These were once the chief ornament of this 
Franciscan church. L wall : summit, he divests himself of 
his clothing and worldly goods, and leaves his father's house, 
to be the spouse of Poverty, ind tier, he appears suddenly 
at Aries, to Sant' Antonio of Padua, while preaching. (Read 
up all these subjects in Mrs. Jameson's Monastic Orders.) 
3rd tier, the Death of St. Francis ; his soul is seen conveyed 
by angels to Heaven. This picture, which formed the model 
for many subsequent saintly obsequies, should be compared 
at once with the Ghirlandajo of the same theme in the Santa 
Trinita in Florence. R wall : summit, St. Francis receives 
the confirmation of the rules of his order from Pope Inno- 



28 FLORENCE [i. 

cent III. 2nd tier, his trial of faith before the Sultan. 3rd 
tier, his miracles (appearance to Guido d' Assisi : a dying 
brother sees his soul leaping towards heaven). Consult 
parts I and III of Ruskin's Mornings in Florence, on the 
subject of these frescoes, but do not be led away by his too 
positive manner. On the ceiling, St. Francis in Glory, and 
his three great virtues, Poverty, Chastity, Obedience. Note 
also the figures of the chief Franciscan luminaries, St. Louis 
of Toulouse, St. Louis of France, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, 
and St. Clara (foundress of the Franciscan female order of 
Poor Clares) round the windows. The whole is thus an epic 
of Franciscanism. Study it fully. The curious ancient altar- 
piece of this chapel deserves attention. 

On the archway, above this chapel, outside, St. Francis 
receiving the Stigmata, by Giotto — resembling the altar- 
piece of the same subject in the Louvre, painted by Giotto 
for San Francesco at Pisa. I recommend long observation 
of all these Giottos. Go later to Assisi, the town of St. 
Francis, and compare them with the Giottos in the parent 
monastery. The choir, which is, of course, the central point 
of the whole church, usually bears reference to the name 
and dedication : here, it \s naturally adorned by the History 
of the Holy Cross, depicted in fresco on its walls by Agnolo 
Gaddi. These frescoes, however, are so ill seen, owing to 
the railing, and the obstacles placed in the way of entering, 
that I will merely give a brief outline of their wild legend as 
here represented. 

R wall. 

1. Seth receives from an angel a branch from the Tree of 
Knowledge. He is told to plant it in Adam's heart, with an 
admonition that when it bears fruit, Adam will be restored 
to life again. 

2. The Tree, cut down by Solomon for use in the Temple, 
and found unsuitable, is seen in passing by the Queen of 
Sheba, who beholds a vision of the crucified Saviour, and 
falls down to worship it. 

3. The Tree is found floating in the Pool of Bethesda, 
and is taken out to be used as the Cross of the Saviour. 



I.] SANTA CROCK 2g 

4. The Holy Cross, buried for three hundred years, is dis- 
covered by the Empress Helena, who distinguishes it by its 
powers in healing sickness. 

L wall. 

5. Helena carries the Holy Cross in procession amid 
public rejoicing. 

6. Chosroes, King of Persia, takes Jerusalem, and carries 
off a part of the Holy Cross which was still preserved there. 

7. Heraclius, Emperor of the East, conquers and beheads 
Chosroes, and rescues the Holy Cross from the heathen. 

8. Heraclius brings the Holy Cross in triumph to Jeru- 
salem, and carries it barefoot on his shoulders into the city. 

First chapel, beyond the Choir. Interesting altar-piece. 

Second and third chapels. Nothing noteworthy. 

Fourth chapel, of St. Stephen and St. Lawrence. Fres- 
coes by Bernardo Daddi, an early Giottesque. L, the Trial 
and Martyrdom of St. Stephen. R, the Martyrdom of St. 
Lawrence, with the usual boy blowing the bellows. The 
scene is caught at the famous moment when the Saint is 
saying, " Turn me over ; this side is done." (Jam versa : 
assatus est.) L and R of the windows, St. Stephen and St. 
Lawrence, with their palms of martyrdom. (These two 
deacon saints are usually painted in couples. They simi- 
larly share Fra Angelico's chapel in the Vatican.) Over the 
altar, a somewhat vulgarly coloured relief of the Madonna 
and Child, with angels ; St. John the Evangelist, holding 
his symbol, the cup and serpent, and St. Mary Magdalen, 
with the alabaster box of ointment. Notice the Annuncia- 
tion and the little saints in the predella of this work. Their 
order from L to R is : St, Dominic with his star ; St. Lucy 
with her eyes in a dish ; St. Catherine of Alexandria with 
her wheel ; and St. Thomas Aquinas with his open book. 
A Dominican work in this Franciscan church, placed here, 
no doubt, by some Dominican-minded donor. 

Fifth chapel, of St. Sylvester, contains frescoes by Giot- 
tino or Maso di Banco. L, over the tomb of Uberto de' 
Bardi, the Last Judgment, with the dead man rising solitary. 
Over the next tomb, (this is more probably by Taddeo 



30 FLORENCE [t. 

Gaddi,) the Entombment, all the attitudes in which are 
characteristically Giottesque, and should be carefully noted. 
R wall, the Conversion of Constantine, and the miracles of 
St. Sylvester, greatly faded, (exorcism of a dragon, etc.). 
Notice, in the lower tier, two dead men restored to life, 
naively represented in the usual fashion, the dead bodies 
below, the living rising out of them. Similar scenes will 
meet you elsewhere. 

End chapel of the L Transept, no work of importance. 
Observe from its steps the general view of the building. 

Chapel beyond Transept, modern monuments and 
paintings. 

Return by the L aisle. Monument of Raphael Mor- 
ghen. 

**Monument of Carlo Marsuppini, by Desiderio da 
Settignano, an exquisite specimen of Renaissance work, 
with lovely decorative framework and charming boy-angels, 
holding the coat-of-arms of the deceased. Every portion of 
the decoration of this exquisite tomb should be examined in 
detail. Observe in particular the robe and tassels. It is a 
masterpiece of its period. 

Many of the late altar-pieces in this aisle are worth pass- 
ing attention, as specimens of the later baroque painting. 

Tomb of Galileo Galilei, died 1642. 

Over the holy water stoup, St. Francis with the Stig- 
mata. 

Entrance wall of the Nave, in the rose window, Descent 
from the Cross, thus completing the series of the Holy 
Cross, from a design by Ghiberti. Beneath it, the original 
IHS, from the design of St. Bernardino of Siena, the holy 
Franciscan, who placed it with his own hands on the old 
fagade. Over the central door, Statue of St. Louis of 
Toulouse, the other great Franciscan saint, by Donatello : 
beneath his feet, the crown which he refused in order to 
accept the monastic profession. Study well all these Fran- 
ciscan memorials, and observe their frequent allusiveness to 
the Holy Cross. 

The reader must not suppose that in this brief enumera- 



lj SANTA CROCE 3 1 

tion I have done anything more than hastily touch upon 
a point of view for the chief objects of interest in this most 
important church. He must come here over and over again, 
and study the various chapels and their frescoes in order. 
I have passed over endless minor works whose meaning and 
interest will become more and more apparent on further ex- 
amination. Regard Santa Croce as a museum of the early 
Giottesque fresco - painters : and recollect that only in 
Florence, with Assisi and Padua, can you adequately study 
these great artists. If the study attracts you, read up in 
Layard's Kugler the portion relating to Giotto, Taddeo 
Gaddi, and Giovanni da Milano ; and also in Mrs. Jameson 
the legends of the chief saints here commemorated. Then 
return, to correct and enlarge your first impressions. After- 
wards, go on to Assisi and Padua. It is impossible to 
estimate the Giottesques outside Italy. 

Through the cloisters of the Franciscan monastery, to the 
R, outside the church (designed by Arnolfo), you gain access 
to the Cappella de* Pazzi, founded by the great family 
whose name it bears, the chief rivals of the Medici. It is a 
splendid work by Brunelleschi, the architect of the dome of 
the Cathedral. The beautiful frieze of angels' heads without 
is by Donatello and Desiderio de Settignano. You can thus 
study here these two early Renaissance sculptors. Within, 
terra-cotta decorations by Luca della Robbia : 12 Apostles 
and 4 Evangelists. The shape of the roof is characteristic. 

To the right of the cloisters on entering is the old 
Refectory of the convent : on the end wall of which, as 
on most refectories, is painted in fresco the Last Supper, 
attributed to Giotto, more probably by Taddeo Gaddi. 
This Cenacolo should be carefully studied, as the one from 
which most later representations are gradually derived. 
Notice the position of Judas in the foreground, long main- 
tained in subsequent paintings. I advise you to get photo- 
graphs of this work for comparison with the Ghirlandajo at 
San Marco, the Cenacolo di Fuligno, etc. The Crucifixion, 
above, has near it a Genealogical Tree of the Franciscan 
order : close by, St. Francis receiving the Stigmata, History 



32 FLORENCE [l. 

of St. Louis of Toulouse, and the Magdalen at the feet of 
Christ in the house of the Pharisee. All these, again, should 
be noted for comparison : they are probably the work of a 
pupil of Taddeo's. Do not omit to observe the Franciscan 
character here, too, nor the frequency of the outcast figure 
of the Magdalen. The Franciscans — the Salvation Army 
of their day — ministered especially to the poor and sinful. 



II 

SANTA MARIA NOVELLA 

AND THE FIRST DOMINICAN QUARTER 

Tr^T. DOMINIC of Castile, the great contemporary and 
Lw3 friendly rival of St. Francis, died in 1221. The order 
which he founded (distinguishable in art as in life by its 
black- and = white robes), soon spread over Italy. The 
Dominicans constituted themselves the guardians of Faith, 
as the Franciscans were the apostles of Works ; they pro- 
tected the faithful against .heresy, and extirpated heretics. 
The Holy Inquisition grew out of their body. They were 
also, incidentally, the leading teachers of scholastic 
philosophy; they posed as the Learned Order. As 
preachers, they chiefly expounded the ' Doctrines of the 
Church, and preserved its purity. 

The Dominicans were the earliest builders of any im- 
portant monumental church at Florence. In 1278 (some 16 
years before the Franciscans at Santa Croce), they began to 
erect a splendid edifice on the west side of the town, in the 
garden belt outside the narrow walls of the earliest precinct. 
It served as chapel to their monastery. The design for 
this church, in pure Tuscan Gothic, was prepared by two 
Dominican monks, Fra Sisto and Fra Ristoro ; and the 
building v/as finished (except the faqade) about 1355. The 
faqade itself is a later Renaissance addition to the original 
building. 

Before examining Santa Maria Novella, however, I 
strongly advise the visitor to begin by inspecting the 
Strozzi Palace* in the Via Tornabuoni. This massive 
Tuscan residence forms a typical example of the solid and 

38 c 



34 FLORENCE [it 

gloomy Florentine palaces—half fortress, half mansion. It 
was built, as a whole, in 1489 (long after Santa Maria), by 
Benedetto da Majano, for his patron, Filippo Strozzi, the 
chief rival of the Medici in the later 15th century. The 
beautiful cornice which tops its exterior on the side next the 
Via Strozzi was added later by Cronaca. But it is well to 
inspect (from without) this magnificent house before visiting 
Santa Maria, because both Filippo Strozzi and Benedetto 
da Majano will meet us again more than once in the church 
we are about to consider. Observe that the solid Tuscan 
palaces of which this is the type are designed like fortresses, 
for defence against civic foes, with barricaded windows high 
up on the ground floor, and a castle-like front ; while they 
are only accessible by a huge gate (readily closed) into a 
central courtyard, lighter and airier, on which the principal 
living-apartments open. (These palaces incidentally give 
you the clue to the Cour du Louvre.) Note the immense 
blocks of stone of which the wall is composed, and the way 
they are worked ; observe also the windows, doorways, 
corner-lanterns, and rings or link-holders of the exterior ; 
then walk into the Court, whose front was added somewhat 
later by Cronaca. Contrast these fortress town-houses of the 
turbulent Florentine nobles with the relatively free and open 
mansions of the mercantile Venetians, among whom (under 
the strong rule of the Doges and the oligarchy) internal 
peace was so much earlier secured. Remember finally that 
the Strozzi were among the chief patrons of Santa Maria 
Novella. 

From the Strozzi Palace, again, walk just round the 
corner into the Via della Vigna Nuova, and inspect the 
exterior of the slightly earlier Rucellai Palace. The family 
who built it were the pillars of Santa Maria and of the 
Dominican order. It was designed by Leon Battista 
Alberti, the first of the famous Renaissance architects ; it is 
remarkable for the pilasters which here first intervene 
between the so-called rustica work of the masonry. These 
two palaces give you a good idea of the Tuscan houses. If 
you wish to learn more of Alberti's style inspect also the 



I 



II.] SANTA MARIA NOVELLA 35 

dainty little (blocked-up) arcade or loggia opposite ; as also 
the Rucellai Chapel in the Via della Spada, which encloses 
an imitation by Alberti of the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem. 
And now you are in a position to understand Santa Maria, 
the facade of which this same Alberti designed. 

Recollect then (i) that it is a Dominican church, full of 
the glory of the Dominicans, and of their teaching function, 
as well as of their great philosophic saints, in particular, St. 
Thomas Aquinas ; look out for their black-and-white robes : 
and (2) that it is the church of the Rucellai, the Strozzi, 
the Tornabuoni, and other wealthy and noble Florentine 
families. Earlier in date than Santa Croce as to its fabric, 
I place it later in the order of our tour, because its contained 
works of art are of later date, and its style less uniform. 

Choose a very sunny day. Take your opera-glasses.] 

Go into the Piazza Santa Maria Novella. Observe the 
church, and the opposite hospital of San Paolo * good relief 
of the Meeting of St. Dominic and St. Francis by the Delia 
Robbia, in R corner of the latter, under the loggia. Then, 
walk round the R corner of the church into the Piazza delP 
Unita Italiana, where stand by the obelisk to examine the 
exterior of the medieval portion of the building, with its 
almost windowless Nave and Aisles, and its Transept with 
small rose window. This part was designed for the Rucellai 
by two Dominican monks about 1278. Afterwards, proceed 
towards the Railway Station, so as to observe the architec- 
ture of the end of the church, and the interesting campanile. 
This is all part of the primitive building. 

Now, return to the much later Renaissance facade, erected 
by Leon Battista Alberti in 1456 for Giovanni Rucellai. 
This fagade is well worth close notice, as a specimen of 
early Renaissance architecture. Observe first the earlier 
Gothic arcades (avelli), in black-and-white marble, which 
surround the corner : these were used as burial vaults ; and 
contain, below, the coats-of-arms of the various noble 
families interred there. Those to the R have been over- 
restored ; but on the lower tier of the facade itself, and to 



36 FLORENCE [il. 

the L by the monastery buildings they still remain in their 
original condition. The two lateral doorways are also early 
and Gothic. The central doorway, however, and the rest of 
the facade (in black and white marble, and serpentine) — 
at least, the part above the first cornice — belongs to the later 
Renaissance design added by Alberti. (If you go round 
to the front of the neighbouring church of San Lorenzo, 
you will see the way in which such facades were often left 
incomplete for ages in Italy.) Notice the contrast between 
the later and earlier portions : also the handsome green 
pilasters. At Santa Croce, the nave and aisles have 
separate gables : here, only the nave has a visible gable- 
end, while the apparently flat top of the aisles is con- 
nected with it by a curl or volute, which does not answer 
to the interior architecture. Beneath the pediment 
runs the inscription : " Iohannes Oricellarivs, Pav[li] 
Fil[ivs] An[no] Sal[vationis] Mcccclxx"; that is to say, 
1 Giovanni Rucellai, son of Paolo, in the Year of Salvation, 
1470." Look out within for more than one memorial of 
these same Rucellai, the great joint patrons of Santa Maria 
Novella. 

Enter the church. The interior, a fine specimen of 
Tuscan Gothic, consists of a Nave and Aisles, with vaulted 
roof (about 1350), and a Transept somewhat longer than is 
usual in Italian churches. 

Walk up the centre of the Nave to the junction of the 
Transepts (mind the two steps half way) in order to observe 
the internal architecture in general, and the position of the 
choir and chapels, much resembling that of Santa Croce : 
only, the Transepts end here in raised Chapels. 

Then, return to the R aisle, noticing, on the entrance wall, 
R of the main door, a beautiful little Annunciation of the 15th 
century, where the position of the Madonna and angel, the 
dividing wall, prie-dieu, bed in the background, etc., are all 
highly characteristic of this interesting subject. Beneath it, 
three little episodes, Baptism, Adoration of the Magi, and 
Nativity, closely imitated after Giotto. L of the doorway, a 
Holy Trinity, with saints and donors much injured, but still 



II.] SANTA MARIA NOVELLA 37 

a fine work by Masaccio. The altar-pieces in the R aisle 
are of the 17th century, and mostly uninteresting. One is 
dedicated to St. Thomas A'Becket. 

R Transept. Bust of St. Antoninus, the Dominican 
Bishop of Florence. (The Dominicans make the most of 
their saints here, as the Franciscans did at Santa Croce.) 

Beyond the doorway, Tomb of Joseph, Patriarch of 
Constantinople, who came to the Council of Ferrara (after- 
wards at Florence) in order to arrange a basis of reunion 
for the Eastern and Western Churches, and then died here, 
1440. (The beautiful fresco of the Journey of the Magi by 
Benozzo Gozzoli at the Riccardi Palace, which you will visit 
later, contains his portrait as the Eldest King.) 

Above this, early Gothic Tomb of Aldobrandino (1279), 
with Madonna and Child, added, by Nino Pisano. To the 
R, another tomb (Bishop Aliotti of Fiesole, d. 1336) with 
recumbent figure, Ecce Homo, etc., best viewed from the 
steps to the end chapel : this is probably by Tino da 
Camaino. Note these as specimens of early Tuscan sculp- 
ture. 

Ascend the steps to the Rucellai Chapel. (Remember 
the family.) Over the altar is Ciniabue's famous Madonna, 
with attendant angels superimposed on one another. This 
celebrated picture, the first which diverged from the Byzan- 
tine (or rather barbaric Italian) style is best seen in a very 
bright light. It forms the starting-point for the art of 
Tuscany. ' A replica, with slight variations, can be studied 
with greater ease in the Belle Arti. This famous work is 
the one which is said to have been borne in triumph from 
the painter's studio to the church by the whole population. 
Note the greater freedom in the treatment of the angels, 
where Cimabue was less bound by rigid custom than in Our 
Lady and the Divine Child. On the R wall, characteristic 
Giottesque Annunciation, where the loggia and the position 
of the angel should be noted. On the L wall, St. Lucy, with 
her eyes in a dish, by Ridolfo Ghirlandajo. The tomb of 
the Beata Villana (with angels, as often, drawing the 
curtains) is by Bernardo Rossellino. The Martyrdom of St. 



38 FLORENCE [U. 

Catherine is by Bugiardini. Come again to this chapel to 
study the Cimabue after you have seen the copy in the 
Belle Arti. 

Notice outside the chapel, as you descend the stairs, the 
Rucellai inscriptions, including the Tomb of Paolo, father of 
Giovanni who erected the fagade. 

Now, turn to the Choir Chapels, extending in a line to 
the L as you descend. And observe here that, just as the 
exterior belongs to two distinct ages, Mediaeval and Renais- 
sance, so also do the frescoes. The Orcagnas and the paint- 
ings of the Spanish Chapel are Giottesque and medi- 
aeval : the Filippino Lippis and the Ghirlandajos are Renais- 
sance. We come first upon the later series. 

First chapel, uninteresting. 

Second chapel, of the Strozzi family, the other great 
patrons of Santa Maria Novella. This was formerly, as the 
Latin inscriptions relate, dedicated to St. John the Evan- 
gelist, but was afterwards made over by Filippo Strozzi 
(builder of the Strozzi Palace) to his family patrons, St. 
Philip and St. James. The same powerful nobleman 
employed Filippino Lippi to decorate it with ** frescoes, 
which rank among the finest work of that great Renais- 
sance master. Here you come for the first time upon a 
famous Florentine painter of the 15th century. Contrast 
his frescoes with the Giottesque types at Santa Croce, and 
observe the advance they mark in skill and knowledge. 
The L wall contains Scenes from the Life of- the (dis- 
possessed) St. John the Evangelist, as compensation for 
disturbance. Below, St. John raises Drusiana, a legendary 
subject which we saw at Santa Croce. Observe here, how- 
ever, the Roman architecture, the attempts at classical 
restoration, and the admirable dramatic character of the 
scene, especially visible in the strange look of wonder on 
the face of the resuscitated woman herself, and the action ot 
the two bier-bearers. The group of women, mourners, and 
children to the R should be carefully studied as typical of 
Filippino Lippi's handiwork (about 1502). Above, St. John 
in the caldron of boiling oil. Observe again the classical 



II.] SANTA MARIA NOVELLA 39 

tone in the lictors with fasces and other Roman insignia. 
The R wall is devoted to the legendary history of St. 
Philip, the namesake of both patron and painter. Below, 
St. Philip exorcises a dragon which haunted a temple at 
Hierapolis in Phrygia, and killed by its breath the king's 
son. Here again the dramatic action is very marked both 
in the statue of Mars, the priest, the mourning worshippers, 
and the dragon to the L, and the dying prince in the arms 
of his courtiers to the R of the picture. Above, the 
Martyrdom of St. Philip, who is crucified by the outraged 
priests of the dragon. These frescoes, though marred by 
restoration, deserve attentive study. Their exaggerated 
decorative work is full of feeling for the antique. They are 
characteristic but florid examples of the Renaissance spirit 
before the age of Raphael. (Good accounts in Layard's 
Kugler, and Mrs. Jameson.) Note, however, that while 
excellent as art they are wholly devoid of spiritual meaning 
— mere pleasant stories. On the window wall, Tomb of 
Filippo Strozzi by Benedetto da Majano, the architect of 
the Strozzi palace. (Notice throughout this constant con- 
nection of certain painters and sculptors with families of 
particular patrons, and also with churches of special orders.) 
The Madonna and Child, flying angels, and framework, 
are all exquisite examples of their artist's fine feeling. The 
bust of Filippo Strozzi, from this tomb, is now in the Louvre. 
The window above, with Our Lady, and St. Philip and St. 
James, is also after a design by Filippino Lippi. Observe 
likewise the admirable Sibyls and other allegorical figures 
of the window wall. Not a detail of this fine Renais- 
sance work should be left unnoticed. Do not forget the 
Patriarchs on the ceiling, each named on a cartolino or 
little slip of paper. Return more than once to a chapel like 
this, reading up the subjects and painters meanwhile, till 
you. feel you understand it. 

Enter the Choir, noticing, as you pass, the marble high 
altar, which covers the remains of the Dominican founder, 
the Beato Giovanni di Salerno. 

The ** frescoes on the walls were originally by Orcagna, 



40 FLORENCE [it 

but in 1490 Giovanni Tornabuoni commissioned Domenico 
Ghirlandajo to paint them over with the two existing series, 
representing, on the R wall, the Life of St. John Baptist, 
the patron saint of the city, and, on the L wall, the history 
of the Virgin, the patron saint of Santa Maria Novella. 
(Here, therefore, as usual, the Choir contains direct reference 
to the dedication.) 

The upper scenes on either side are so much damaged 
as to be hardly recognisable, but the lower ones are as 
follows : — 

L wall, 2nd tier; L, the Presentation of the Virgin in 
the Temple, which should be compared with similar scenes 
by earlier Giottesque painters, in Santa Croce. R, the 
Marriage of the Virgin ; observe again the positions of 
Joseph, Mary, the High Priest, the attendant Virgins of the 
Lord, and the disappointed suitors, breaking their staffs, etc. 
(Recall or compare with photograph of Raphael's Sposalizio 
at Milan.) Lowest tier ; L, the Expulsion of Joachim 
from the Temple (because he is childless) where the 
spectators (introduced as if viewing the facts), are con- 
temporary Florentine portraits of the painter and his 
brother, and the family and friends of the Tornabuoni. 
Contrast the details with the Giottesques at Santa Croce : 
noble figures of the High Priest and St. Joachim. R, the 
Birth of the Virgin, with St. Anne in bed, the washing ot 
the infant, and a group of Florentine ladies as spectators : 
conspicuous among them, Lodovica, daughter of Giovanni 
Tornabuoni : in the background, the Meeting of Joachim 
and Anna at the Golden Gate. In all these pictures, the 
survivals and modifications of traditional scenes should 
both be noted ; also, the character of the architecture and 
the decorative detail in which Ghirlandajo delighted. He 
had been trained as a goldsmith and retained through life 
his love of goldsmith-like handicraft. The introduction of 
portraits, of contemporaries as spectators is highly character- 
istic both of age and artist. Ghirlandajo was in essence 
a portrait-painter, who used sacred scenes as an excuse for 
portraiture. 



II.] SANTA MARIA NOVELLA 41 

R wall : lower tier ; L, the Visitation, where the positions 
of the Madonna and St. Elizabeth should be noted, as those 
on which later pictures by Mariotto Albertinelli, Pacchia- 
rotto, etc., are based, and also as derived from earlier 
examples. Here, also, notice the contemporary portraits. 
The lady, standing very erect, in a stiff yellow gown, is 
Giovanni Tornabuoni's step-daughter Giovanna Albizi, the 
same person of whom a portrait by Ghirlandajo (a study for 
this picture,) exists in the National Gallery in London, and 
who is also introduced in the two frescoes by Botticelli at 
the head of the principal stairs in the Louvre. R, the 
Angel appearing to Zacharias, where the group of contem- 
porary portraits of distinguished Florentines is particularly 
celebrated : Baedeker names them : I will not, as you will 
have his book with you. 2nd tier, L, Zacharias writes 
" His name is John." R, the birth of the Baptist. Sit on 
the seats long, and study au fond these typical and im- 
portant frescoes. 

Window wall, ill seen and defaced frescoes, also by 
Ghirlandajo of St. Francis before the Sultan, and St. Peter 
Martyr killed by assassins : the Annunciation, and St. John 
Baptist in the desert : and, below all, Giovanni Tornabuoni 
and his wife, the donors of these frescoes. Observe here 
in the Choir, which is, as it were, the focus of the church, 
that almost everything refers to the Blessed Virgin, the 
patroness of this building, or to St. John Baptist, the patron 
of the town in which it is situated. 

I cannot too strongly recommend close study of these 
late Renaissance pictures of the age immediately preceding 
that of Raphael. Do not be satisfied with noting the few 
points I mention : look over them carefully as specimens 
of an epoch. Specially characteristic, for example, is the 
figure of the nude beggar in the scene of the Presentation 
of the Virgin, on the L wall, showing the growing Renais- 
sance love for nude anatomy. On the other hand you will 
find in the same picture the positions of St. Jerome and St. 
Anna, of the two children, and of the two men in the fore- 
ground, as well as that of the Madonna pausing half-way up 



42 FLORENCE fit. 

the steps, exactly equivalent to those in the Taddeo Gaddi 
and the Giovanni da Milano. Photographs of all these 
should be compared with one another, and also with the 
famous Titian at Venice. I have tried to give some hints 
on this subject in an article on the Presentation in the 
Temple contributed to the Pall-Mall Magazine in 1895. 

1st chapel beyond the choir : uninteresting. It contains, 
however, a famous crucifix by Brunelleschi, which would 
seem to show that a crucifix, by whomsoever designed, is 
still a crucifix. 

2nd chapel, of the Gaddi, good bas-reliefs by Bandini. 

Under the steps which lead to the elevated Strozzi chapel 
(the second belonging to the family in this church), is a 
tomb with Gothic figures and a Giottesque Entombment, 
attributed to Giottino. 

Ascend the steps to the Strozzi Chapel, the altar of 
which covers the remains of a " Blessed " member of the 
family, the Beato Alessio dei Strozzi. This chapel contains 
some famous Giottesque frescoes by the brothers Orcagna. 

Window wall, the Last Judgment, by Andrea Orcagna, 
with Angels of the Last Trump, the twelve apostles, the 
rising dead, and other conventional elements. Conspicuous 
just below the figure of the Saviour are, L, Our Lady, pat- 
roness of this church, and R, St. John Baptist, patron ot 
this city. Right of the Saviour, the elect : left of Him, the 
damned. Every one of the figures of the rising dead, saints, 
and apostles, with the angels bearing the instruments of the 
Passion, deserve close attention. Most of them will recur 
in many later pictures. Compare the similar scene in the 
Campo Santo at Pisa. 

L wall, the Paradise, also by Andrea, a famous and most 
beautiful picture, with Christ and the Madonna enthroned, 
and an immense company ot adoring saints and angels. As 
many as possible of these should be identified by their 
symbols. Return from time to time and add to your identi- 
fications. The tiers represent successively Seraphim and 
Cherubim, Apostles, Prophets, Patriarchs, Doctors of the 
Church, Martyrs, Virgins, Saints, and Angels. Notice the 



II.] SANTA MARIA NOVELLA 43 

suitability of this dogmatic arrangement in a Dominican 
church, belonging to the stewards and guardians of ortho- 
doxy. The painting unites Florentine grandeur with 
Sienese tenderness. 

R wall, a very ugly Inferno, attributed to Orcagna's 
brother, Bernardo, and divided into set divisions, in ac- 
cordance with the orthodox mediaeval conception, which 
is similarly crystallized in Dante's poem. The various 
spheres are easily followed by students of the Divina 
Commedia. 

Do not omit to observe the very beautiful altar=p2ece, also 
by Orcagna. Its chief subject is Christ giving the keys, on 
the one hand, to Peter, and the book, on the other hand, to 
the great Dominican saint and philosophical teacher, St. 
Thomas Aquinas. The allegorical meaning is further ac- 
centuated by the presence of the Madonna and St. John, 
patrons of this church and city. We have thus St. Thomas 
placed almost on a plane of equality with the Papacy. The 
other figures are St. Michael the Archangel, St. Catherine 
with her wheel, St. Lawrence with his gridiron, and St. Paul 
with his sword. In the predella beneath are subjects taken 
from the stories of the same saints. The most interesting 
is the struggle for the soul of the Emperor Henry II. (See 
Mrs. Jameson.) The Emperor is seen dying : then, devils 
go to seize his soul : a hermit sees them : St. Michael holds 
the scales to weigh the souls : the devils nearly win, when, 
suddenly, St. Lawrence descends, and places in the scale 
a gold casket which the Emperor had presented to him 
(once at Bale, now in the goldsmiths' room at the Musee de 
Cluny) : the scale bends down, and the devils in a rage try 
to seize St. Lawrence. A quaint story, with an obvious 
moral, well told in this predella with spirit and vigour. 

This chapel as a whole is one of the best smaller examples 
now remaining of a completely decorated Giottesque in- 
terior. Not a single element of its frescoes and Dominican 
symbolism should pass without notice. Observe, before 
you leave, St. Thomas Aquinas on the arch, in four char- 
acters, as Prudence, Justice, Courage, and Temperance, 



44 FLORENCE [il. 

The Strozzi Chapel again is one to which you must pay 
frequent visits. 

Descend the steps. The door in front leads to the 
Sacristy. The most interesting object in it is a lavatory 
in marble and terra-cotta of the school of Delia Robbia. 
The pictures of Dominican saints with which it is adorned 
have little more than symbolical interest. 

The L aisle contains no object of special interest. 

This completes a first circuit of the church itself ; but 
you have still to see the most interesting object within its 
walls — the Spanish Chapel. Do not attempt, however, 
to do it all in one day. Return a second bright morning, 
between 10 and 12, and pay a visit to this gem of early 
architecture and painting. 

A door to the r of the raised Strozzi chapel, in the l 
Transept, leads into the cloisters. It is locked. You 
must get the Sacristan to open it. He is usually to be found 
in the Sacristy. 

The first cloister which you enter, known as the Sepolcreto, 
and containing numerous mediaeval or modern tombs, has 
faded Giottesque frescoes, two of which, in the bay to the 
R as you descend the steps, pretty enough in their way, 
have been made famous (somewhat beyond their merits) 
by Mr. Ruskin. That on the L, in a curiously shaped 
lunette, represents, with charming naivete, the Meeting of 
Joachim and Anna at the Golden Gate. Observe the con- 
ventional types of face and dress in the two saints, and the 
angel putting the heads of the husband and wife together : 
also, the servant carrying the rejected offering, all of which 
are stereotyped elements in the delineation of this subject. 
The fresco to the R represents the Birth of the Virgin, 
and may be instructively compared with the Ghirlandajo 
upstairs, and also with the Taddeo Gaddi and the Giovanni 
da Milano at Santa Croce. The simplicity of the treatment 
is indeed reminiscent of Giotto's manner, but few critics, 
I fancy, will agree with Mr. Ruskin in attributing these 
works to the actual hand of the master. Remember, too, 



II.] SANTA MARIA NOVELLA 45 

that Giotto is always simple, because he is early ; later times 
continually elaborated and enriched his motives. On the 
side walls, L, the angel appears to Joachim and Anna 
simultaneously ; R, the Presentation of the Virgin in the 
Temple. Compare these naive works with the frescoes in 
the Madonna dell' Arena at Padua, and other examples. 

This cloister also contains a vulgarly coloured and some- 
what coarse terra-cotta relief of Christ as the Gardener and 
the Magdalen in the Garden. I will not further particularize, 
but several hours may be spent in examining the objects 
in this single courtyard alone, many of which are extremely 
interesting. From the base of the oratory containing this 
relief is also obtained one of the best views of the church 
and campanile. 

The second cloister, known as the Chiostro Verde, is 
decorated with very faded frescoes, in shades of green, 
representing the history of Genesis. Good general view of 
the church and campanile from the further end of this 
cloister. 

[The green frescoes, I fear, will scarcely interest you at 
first, and may be passed over with a few glances on a 
preliminary visit. But you must return to them later on, 
because, defaced and destroyed as they are (more so within 
my own memory) they are yet important links in the history 
of Renaissance art, and especially in the development of 
perspective, anatomical knowledge, and the drawing of the 
nude human body. (See Layard's Kugler, under Paolo 
Uccello.) They represent the incidents of Genesis, by 
various hands ; but the best are the Sacrifice of Noah, and 
the Deluge, by Paolo Uccello, not in the least sacred, and 
full of admirable naturalistic incidents. They help to bridge 
over the gap in this church between Giottesques like Orcagna 
and late 15th century Renaissance painters like Filippino 
Lippi and Ghirlandajo. I will not dwell upon them now, 
but advise you, at some future time, when your conceptions 
of the evolution of art in Tuscany have become clearer, to 
return to them for some hours at least of patient study.] 

A door to the R of the entrance gate leads into the 



46 FLORENCE [il. 

famous lappella degli Spagnuoli, or Spanish Chapel, 
whose beautiful external architecture, with twisted columns, 
should be observed before entering. It was erected about 
1340 by a rich Florentine citizen, for the celebration of the 
Festival of Corpus Christi, then newly instituted. Its pre- 
sent name dates only from the age of Cosimo I., who assigned 
it to the suite of Eleanor of Toledo. 

This chapel is the finest existing example (save the Arena 
at Padua) of a completely decorated Giottesque interior. 
The frescoes are by uncertain artists, but rank among the 
noblest productions of their period. It would require many 
days adequately to examine all the beautiful objects which 
this building contains. I will therefore call attention in 
detail to a few only. Those first mentioned are peculiarly 
appropriate to a Chapel of the Corpus Christi. 

On the altar wall, facing you as you enter, is the History 
of the Passion, in consecutive sections, after the early 
fashion : probably by an artist of the School of Siena. 
L, the Way to Calvary. Above it, the Crucifixion, every 
detail of which should be closely studied. Notice in 
particular St. Longinus, the centurion who pierced the side 
of Christ, and who was afterwards converted, distinguished 
by his halo. On the R, Christ descending to Hades, 
and liberating the souls, with the crushed and baffled 
demons. First among the dead are Adam, Abel with his 
lamb, and the various Patriarchs. Every detail in these 
three works will give a key to other compositions. 

The compartment of the ceiling above this fresco re- 
presents the Resurrection, with Christ in a mandorla ; the 
Three Women at the tomb ; and Christ and the Magdalen 
in the Garden. Observe once more every detail of this 
beautiful composition : it is probably the work of Antonio 
Veneziano. (But do not trouble much at this stage about 
these artists : confine your attention to the details of the 
action.) 

The R wall contains a very famous ** fresco, commonly 
attributed to Taddeo Gaddi, but much more probably a 
work of Simone Martini or some other artist of the early 



II.] SANTA MARIA NOVELLA 47 

School of Siena (Cavalcaselle attributes it to Andrea di 
Firenze). It represents the Way to Paradise, especially as 
shown by the Dominican Fathers. Study this noble 
allegorical work in full detail. Below, on the L, is the 
Church Militant, represented by the original design of the 
Cathedral at Florence, as sketched by Arnolfo, with Giotto's 
facade, and the Campanile beside it. Below this, as in the 
Dantesque ideal — that splendid embodiment of mediaeval 
Christian theory — sit enthroned the spiritual and temporal 
authorities, the Pope, with his pastoral staff, and the 
Emperor, with his sword and ball ; at whose feet lie the 
Faithful, represented as a flock of sheep, and guarded by 
black-and-white dogs, the do mini canes, or Dominicans. To 
the L of the Pope are the various Church dignitaries, — 
cardinal, archbishop, bishop, priest, deacon, and monks and 
nuns of the various orders, each in the garb of their profes- 
sion or monastic body. Foremost among them observe the 
black-and-white robes of the Dominicans, closely allied with 
their Franciscan brethren. To the R of the Emperor, again, 
stand the various temporal authorities, — kings, princes, 
marquises, dukes, lawyers, burghers, gentlefolk, pilgrims, 
artizans, beggars, and women. (Most of these are said to 
be contemporary portraits — the Pope, Benedict XI ; the 
Emperor, Henry VII ; the King, Philippe le Bel of France ; 
the Bishop of Florence of the period, and so forth : while 
others are considered on merely traditional authority to be 
Cimabue, Arnolfo, Giotto, Petrarch, Laura, etc. I advise 
you, however, to pay little attention at first to such real or 
supposed portraits, the identification of which merely dis- 
tracts you from the underlying import and beauty of the 
picture. In any case, the poets and painters at least seem 
to be wrongly named. Thus, the cavalier in the curious 
white hood, usually pointed out by the guides as Cimabue, 
is much more probably Walter de Brienne, Duke of Athens, 
who also appears on a white horse in the Crucifixion.) The 
whole assemblage thus represents the mediaeval world, 
temporal and spiritual. Beyond these to the R, the Way 
to Paradise, Dominican Fathers pointing the road, and 



48 FLORENCE [ll, 

arguing and expostulating with heretics, whom St. Thomas 
Aquinas, on the extreme R, is confuting, so that some of them 
tear up their heretical books, while others stop their ears and 
refuse to listen. Oriental costumes (representing eastern 
sectaries) may be detected among them. In the fore- 
ground, the Dominicans, as black-and-white dogs, are 
worrying the heretical teachers under the guise of wolves, 
thus symbolising the terrible functions of the Inquisition. 
In the second tier, winding round above to the R, are seen 
the pleasures and vanities of this wicked world, with dancing 
figures ; while a Dominican Father is showing souls the way 
to heaven, and another is giving absolution to sinners. These 
figures thus represent Sin, Confession, Absolution, and 
Penitence. Further to the L, again, the Souls of the Right- 
eous, a joyous company, are being welcomed and crowned by 
delicious little angels at the Gate of Heaven, where St. 
Peter with the keys stands to open the door for them. 
Within is a vista of the Heavenly City, with adoring saints, 
among whom St. Lawrence and St. Paul are specially con- 
spicuous. Over the dome of the church, too, is seen the 
half-figure of the great Dominican nun, St. Catherine of 
Siena. Thus this part of the picture symbolically represents 
the Church Triumphant, as that below represents the Church 
Militant. The whole composition is crowned by Christ in 
Glory, with adoring angels. 

I have given here only a brief outline of this noble Glorifi- 
cation of the Dominican Order ; but attentive observers will 
discover for themselves many other interesting and curious 
features which I have been compelled by considerations of 
space to pass by in silence. 

The compartment of the ceiling above this fresco repre- 
sents the Ship of the Church, under the guise of the Apostles 
on the Sea of Galilee, with Christ and Peter walking on the 
water. It is partly copied from Giotto's famous mosaic, now 
built into the newer St. Peter's at Rome. The quaint fisher- 
man to the left is common to both of them. 

The entrance wall has a Last Supper, and frescoes of 
the History of St. Dominic and St. Peter Martyr, the founder 
and the holy man of the Dominican Order. 



II.] SANTA MARIA NOVELLA 49 

The compartment of the ceiling above these has an 
Ascension, with Christ in a mandorla, the apostles and 
Madonna, and the messenger angels (by Taddeo Gaddi ?). 

The L wall contains a highly allegorical and architectural 
picture, doubtless correctly ascribed to Taddeo Gaddi, and 
representing the Glory of St. Thomas Aquinas. Above, the 
Saint is seated, enthroned, with the open book, as the 
Doctor of the Church, and the great Dominican teacher. 
Beneath his feet are the discomfited heretics, Arius, 
Sabellius, and Averrhoes. (See the similar scene by Benozzo 
Gozzoli in the Louvre.) By his side are the great teachers 
among the Prophets and Apostles, their names inscribed 
beneath them. On the R, St. Matthew and St. Luke the 
Evangelists, Moses with his conventional horns, Isaiah, and 
King Solomon. On the L, St. John and St. Mark the 
Evangelists, St. Paul, the great organiser of Christian 
teaching, David as the Psalmist, and Job as the dialectician 
of the Old Testament. Thus these figures represent Doctrine 
and Dogma under both dispensations. Only in this Domini- 
can church could a great Dominican teacher be so highly 
exalted at the expense of the earlier canonical writers. Note 
the angels above, with their various symbols. 

The lower tier consists of symbolical figures of the Arts 
and Sciences, with various personages at their feet distin- 
guished for proficiency in them. The following is their order 
from L to R. — Civil Law, with Justinian : Ca?ion Law, with 
Pope Clement V (a portrait) : Practical Theology, with 
Pietro Lombardo, "magister sententiarum" : Speculative 
Theology, with Boethius : Faith, with St. Dionysius the 
Areopagite : Hope, with St. John of Damascus : Charity, 
with St. Augustine : Arithmetic, with Pythagoras : Geometry, 
with Euclid : A$tro7iomy, with Ptolemy : Music, with Tubal- 
cain : Dialectic, with Aristotle : Rhetoric, with Cicero : and 
Grammar, with Priscian. The whole thus represents the 
philosophical and teaching faculty of the Dominicans, as the 
opposite side represents their pastoral activity in saving 
souls. The two great frescoes may indeed be distinguished 
as the spiritual and temporal mission of the Dominicans. 



50 FLORENCE [n. 

The compartment of the ceiling above this fresco repre- 
sents the Descent of the Holy Ghost on the Day of Pente- 
cost (by Taddeo Gaddi ?). The Spirit, as a dove, is descend- 
ing from heaven, while tongues of fire alight on the heads 
of the Madonna and Apostles, chief among whom, in 
accordance with the authoritative character of Dominican 
teaching, is naturally St. Peter. Below, by the closed doors, 
are the various nations, who hear the Apostles speak with 
tongues, each understanding that of his own country. 
Observe the Moors and the Oriental costume of some of" the 
characters. 

Come often to this chapel until you have learned to under- 
stand its architectural plan, and have puzzled out such of its 
infinite details as cannot here be adequately explained to 
you. It is not well, indeed, to be told everything, I shall 
be quite satisfied if I put you on the track, leaving you to 
find out many points for yourself. But sit long and observe, 
remembering that everything in this Chapter-house of 
Dominicanism is full of meaning. In my judgment, too, 
these pictures are as beautiful as works of art as they are 
important as a body of Dominican theology. The little 
group of the Souls as they enter Heaven is one of the most 
charming and attractive conceptions of all Giottesque 
painting. 

It is impossible to overestimate the value of photographs 

for the study of frescoes, especially when the originals are 
either defaced or faded. Every one knows how fatiguing it 
is to stand long in a church and look up at the walls : the 
photograph you can inspect at your leisure at home, and so 
familiarise yourself at least with the composition and the 
story of the subject. After you have thus got to know the 
picture in black-and-white, return to the church to examine 
it again : you will then find that the colour and the size, as 
well as the artist's touch, vivify and brighten what in the 
photograph was often dead and meaningless. Also, the 
photograph, besides giving you the composition in a 
measurable space which the eye can grasp, so generalises 



II.] SANTA MARIA NOVELLA 5 1 

the figures as often to supply in effect missing lines and 
obscure portions. Of course you must not rely on the 
photograph alone : but, when used in conjunction with, and 
as supplementary to, the frescoes themselves, these secondary 
aids are simply invaluable. I advise you to apply them here 
in particular to the Ghirlandajos of the choir (especially for 
comparison with the two Lives of the Virgin by Taddeo 
Gaddi and Giovanni da Milano in Santa Croce), and also to 
the frescoes of the Spanish Chapel. If you wish to specialise, 
I would suggest as the best theme the subject of the Presen- 
tation of the Virgin in the Temple, which is treated by all 
three of these successive artists, as well as by several panel- 
painters at the Belle Arti. 

Above all, seek to learn the legends. Religious symbolism 
is the language of early art : you cannot expect to under- 
stand the art if you will not take the trouble to acquire the 
language. 

If you read French, and wish to go deeper into the 
paintings in this church and elsewhere in Florence, get 
Lafenestre's Florence, in the series of La Peinture en Europe 
—2l capital book which gives a full account of every note- 
worthy picture in the city. 






Ill 

THE CATHEDRAL GROUP 

f A FTER the Dominicans and the Franciscans, the 
Ljl\. town began to bestir itself. 

In Dante's time, we saw, the only church of any impor- 
tance which Florence yet possessed was the old octagonal 
Baptistery, then the Cathedral of San Giovanni Battista. 
This building (praised by Dante beyond its merits, because 
the town had then none better) is a small and not wholly 
successful specimen of that beautiful Tuscan = Romanesque 
architecture, which reaches so splendid and typical a de- 
velopment in the Cathedral of Pisa and its surrounding 
edifices. If you have not been to Pisa, however, you can 
only compare San Giovanni with the church of San Miniato 
on the hill south of Florence (which go up to see after in- 
specting the Baptistery). But San Giovanni was, in its 
original condition, a much more insignificant building than 
at present, its chief existing external ornaments being the 
great bronze doors, and the bronze or marble statues, which 
were added later. 

At the end of the 13th cent., once more, when Santa 
Croce and Santa Maria Novella were rapidly rising- in the 
garden belt outside Florence, the city began to be not un- 
naturally ashamed of this mean little Cathedral. Pisa had 
already her magnificent group of buildings fully completed ; 
Siena, stirred to rivalry, had begun and nearly finished her 
noble and beautiful Duomo. Florence, now risen to the 
first position in Tuscany, felt it incumbent upon her to pro- 
•duce a building which should outdo both of them. In this 
design, indeed, she was not wholly successful : her Duomo, 



III.] THE CATHEDRAL GROUP 53 

though larger than either, fails to come up to its elder rivals 
in many important points of beauty. Fully to understand 
the Cathedral of Florence, therefore, you should have seen 
first both Pisa and Siena, on which it is based, with enor- 
mous differences. At Pisa, the actual dome, above the 
intersection of nave and transept, is relatively insignificant. 
At Siena, it assumes somewhat larger proportions. At 
Florence, even as originally designed by Arnolfo, it was to 
be very much bigger, and, as completed by Brunelleschi, it 
far outdid all previous efforts. 

The Baptistery had of course been dedicated, like all 
other baptisteries, to St. John Baptist, who was therefore 
the patron saint of Florence. But the increasing impor- 
tance of the Holy Virgin in the 13th cent, (see my Paris, 
under Notre-Dame) made the Florentines desire to dedicate 
this their new Cathedral to Our Lady. It was therefore 
erected in honour of Santa Maria del Fiore, that is to 
say, Our Lady of the Florentine Lily, which appears in 
the city arms, and pervades all Florence. You will see it 
everywhere. The Duomo was begun in 1294, on the site 
occupied by the earlier church of Santa Reparata, who also 
ranked as one of the chief patron saints of old Florence. 
As usual in such cases, many memorials of the saint of the 
original dedication survive to this day in the existing build- 
ing. The first architect was Arnolfo di Cambio, a pupil 
of Niccolo Pisano who executed the beautiful pulpit in the 
Baptistery at Pisa, where antique work is first imitated. 
(Recollect too that Giovanni Pisano, who built the cathedral 
of Siena, was himself a son of Niccolo.) Thus, in order to 
fully understand the sequence and meaning of these three 
cathedrals, with their sculpture and architecture, you should 
(if possible) pay visits to them in the order of Pisa, Siena, 
Florence, with Bologna thrown in on your way homeward. 
This alone will enable you to understand the marvellous in- 
fluence of the Pisani, and especially of that singular and 
original artist, Niccolo, the first mediaeval craftsman who 
aimed at imitation of and rivalry with the antique. 

Arnolfo's work was afterwards carried on by Giotto, who, 



54 FLORENCE [ill. 

like most men of his century, was architect and sculptor as 
well as painter. It was Giotto who added to the original 
design the beautiful marble-crusted Campanile, the noblest 
work of its sort in Italy. The fresco of the Church Mili- 
tant and Triumphant in the Spanish Chapel shows the 
original form intended for the cathedral by Arnolfo, with the 
additions made by Giotto and Taddeo Gaddi. The ex- 
terior was gradually incrusted during successive ages with 
its beautiful polychromatic marble coating, with the excep- 
tion of the faqade, the lower part of which alone was so 
adorned, as may be seen in Poccetti's lunette in the cloisters 
of San Marco, to be hereafter mentioned. This faqade was 
afterwards pulled down, and the front of the Cathedral re- 
mained a shapeless mass of rubble, like that of San Lorenzo, 
till 1875. The dome, with its beautiful ribs, which make it 
so much lovelier than any other, was designed by Brunel- 
leschi, and constructed in 1420-34. The faqade, which is 
quite modern, was added by De Fabris in 1875. 

A full study of the cathedral of Florence with its group ot 
subsidiary buildings can only be attempted with the aid of a 
thorough architectural description. You must arrive at it 
gradually. I will content myself with pointing out a few of 
the more salient elements likely to interest the general 
reader. If you wish to know more, run down to Pisa, and 
up to Siena, and study carefully the work of the Pisani. 
Recollect that while in painting Florence was fairly original, 
in architecture and sculpture she did but follow the much 
earlier lead of the two other great Tuscan cities. 

Remember then (1) that the Baptistery is practically the 
oldest building in Florence, and is the original cathedral, 
but that most of its external decorations are of later date. 
(2) That it is dedicated to St. John Baptist, and that all 
its parts have reference to its purpose and dedication. (3) 
That the Cathedral is dedicated to Our Lady, and that it 
replaces an older church of Santa Reparata. (4) That it 
owes its existing form to the successive efforts of many great 
architects. 

A few more points must be noted. The Cathedral, when 



III.] THE CATHEDRAL GROUP 55 

completed, was the largest church then existing in Italy. 
St. Peter's at Rome was designed to outdo it. Its dome 
was the biggest ever yet erected : view it from the Piazzale 
Michael Angelo on the way to San Miniato, and observe how 
its ribs make it much more beautiful and effective than any 
other dome. In addition to its original and secondary 
patrons, the Cathedral also contained the remains of the 
local holy bishop, St. Zenobius (San Zanobi), who was of 
great importance in early times as an object of cult in 
Florence. The Duomo, again, was confessedly erected (in 
the document which decrees it) as a monument worthy in 
size, dignity, and beauty, not of its sacred use, but of the 
Florentine people. Few churches are on the whole so much 
a national monument, and so little a place of divine worship. 
Everything here is sacrificed to the beauty and size of the 
exterior, which is vast and impressive. The interior, on 
the other hand, being destitute of vistas and long rows ot 
columns, looks very much smaller than it really is, and 
contrasts most unfavourably in this respect with the immense 
apparent size of Pisa. The architects fell into the mistake 
of thinking that by making all the parts large, you would 
gain an idea of vastness — which is quite untrue. You can 
only take it all in, for as big as it is, by visiting it again 
and again. There is little or nothing, however, to explain 
or understand. You must dwell upon it, and it grows upon 
you. I do not enlarge upon the history of the Church, 
because that you must read up in Miss Horner, Mrs. 
Oliphant, Fergusson, and elsewhere. See also Perkins's 
Tuscan Sculptors^ 

Visit first the oldest Cathedral. 

Go along the Via Cerretani as far as the Piazza which con- 
tains the Baptistery. The column of speckled marble which 
faces you to the R, just N. of the Baptistery, was erected to 
commemorate a miracle which took place on the Translation 
of the Remains of St. Zenobius from San Lorenzo. A tree 
which grew on this spot burst suddenly into leaf, out of due 
season, as the body of the saint was being carried by. You 



56 FLORENCE [in. 

will find many pictures of this curious miracle in Florentine 
galleries. Remember it. 

To your R stands the Baptistery itself, the original 
cathedral. It is an octagonal building, perhaps enclosing 
portions of an early Roman Temple, but entirely rebuilt and 
encased in marble in the 12th cent. Notice the three 
different stories of which it is composed : its Tuscan- 
Romanesque style, its round arches, its flat pilasters, its 
windows (later in their present form), and its octagonal 
cupola (best observed from neighbouring heights, such as 
the Piazzale on the Viale dei Colli). Walk right round the 
church and note the square apse or tribune on the w. 

Being a baptistery, this building is mainly decorated with 
(late) works referring to the Life of the Baptist. The 
groups above the doors, externally, consist each of three 
figures. Over the door to the N. is the Preaching of St. 
John Baptist, a trio in bronze by Francesco Rustici (151 1), 
said to have been designed by Leonardo da Vinci. The 
hearers represent a Pharisee and a Sadducee. Over the 
door to the E. (facing the Cathedral), is the Baptism of 
Christ by John, a work of Andrea Sansovino, 1502. The 
angel is later. This set is of marble. Over the door to the 
S. is the Beheading of John the Baptist, in bronze, by 
Vincenzo Danti (1571), where the third figure is ingeniously 
made up by Herodias's daughter waiting for the head with a 
charger. These three groups thus represent in this order 
the principal events in the life of the patron. 

The bronze doors beneath are celebrated. The first and 
oldest of these is on the South side, below'the Beheading 
of John the Baptist. It was completed by Andrea Pisano, 
the pupil of Giovanni (perhaps a grandson of Niccolo), in 
1336, and is the oldest work of art of its sort of any im- 
portance in Florence. It marks, in fact, the beginning of 
the desire for the plastic embellishment of the city. This 
gate should be compared with that of Bonannus in the 
Cathedral at Pisa, a rude 12th century work on which it is 
evidently based. Contrasted with its original, it exhibits the 
great improvement in style effected by the Pisani : but at 



III.] THE CATHEDRAL GROUP 57 

the same time, if compared with Niccolo's reliefs on the 
pulpit at Pisa, it shows the sad falling off in the Pisan school 
after the death of that great and original artist, who, even 
more than Giotto, inaugurated the revival of art in Italy. 
The reliefs represent scenes from the Life of the Patron 
Saint, John the Baptist. They run as follows : 

L door, top (i) the angel appears to Zacharias in the 
Temple : notice the great simplicity of the treatment, as in 
Giotto. (2) Zacharias is struck dumb. (3) The Visitation 
of Mary to Elizabeth (all these scenes are conventional, and 
based upon earlier treatments : compare the arch in the 
background here, as well as the relative positions of the 
Madonna and St. Elizabeth, with those you will find in 
contemporary painting. This arch is most persistent). 
(4) The Birth of the Baptist. (5) Zacharias writes, " His 
name is John." (6) The young John departs to the wilder- 
ness (this delicious scene strikes the key-note for many 
subsequent Florentine treatments of the boy Baptist, who 
becomes with the Renaissance a most typical Florentine 
figure). (7) The Preaching of John. (8) Jesus comes to 
Jordan. (9) John baptizes (the gates were once richly 
gilded ; traces of the gilding appear best on this relief). 
(10) The Baptism of Christ, where the positions of St. John 
and the angel are strictly conventional, as is also the 
symbolical Jordan. Note all the figures and attitudes care- 
fully. Omit the lower panels for the present. 

R door, beginning again at the top. (n) John the 
Baptist before Herod. (12) John is sent to prison. (13) 
He is visited by his disciples : this scene also recurs very 
frequently. (14) Christ declares, " There hath not risen a 
greater than John the Baptist." (15) Herodias's daughter 
dancing (the fiddler in this scene is conventional : look out 
for reappearances). (16) The Decollation of St. John. (17) 
The head brought to Herodias's daughter. (18) She gives it 
to her mother : again a scene closely followed later. (19) 
The Disciples carry the Body down to burial. (20) The 
Entombment of John. Notice the conventional representa- 
tion of an interior by a canopy or symbolical roof. 



58 FLORENCE [ill. 

All these reliefs should be most carefully studied, both 
as scenes in the history of John which occur abundantly 
elsewhere (see the silver altar from this very church in the 
Opera del Duomo), and also as specimens of that Gothic 
art which replaced the earlier attempted classical revival 
by Niccolo Pisano. The fact is. Niccolo was a man in front 
of his age, whose direct influence died out at once, sub- 
sequent sculptors preferring a treatment more consonant 
with the architecture and painting of the moment. 

The eight lower panels contain admirable allegorical 
figures of the Cardinal Virtues. Each is named legibly 
beside it. Note them as examples of the embodied alle- 
gories so popular during the Gothic period. The Re- 
naissance adornment at the sides of the doors was added 
in 1452 by Vittorio Ghiberti, son of the great Lorenzo whose 
main work you have next to examine. 

Now, go round to the second or North Door, which comes 
next in chronological order — a hundred years later. Flor- 
ence was by this time no longer dependant upon Pisa for 
her artists. At the beginning of the 15th century it was 
decided to make another pair of bronze doors, and, after a 
competition for the choice of an artist, in which Jacopo della 
Quercia and others took part, the Signoria decided upon 
commissioning Lorenzo Ghiberti to execute them. His 
original panel for the competition, together with that of his 
chief rival Brunelleschi, may still be seen at the Bargello. 
This beautiful door, in fact, represents the first beginnings 
of Renaissance Sculpture. (See Perkins's Tuscan Sculptors, 
a book which you should assiduously read up in the even- 
ings.) Compared with Andrea Pisano, the composition is 
richer, the relief higher, the treatment more naturalistic. 
(Orcagna's reliefs at Or San Michele bridge over the gap 
between the two in the history of Florentine sculpture.) 
These gates are devoted to the Life of Christ, to whom John 
testified. 

The subjects begin on the L, third panel from the bottom, 
and (unlike the last) run right across, from door to door, 
being continued upward. (1) Annunciation, with the usual 



III.] THE CATHEDRAL GROUP 59 

loggia and lily, and God the Father discharging the Holy 
Spirit : note the greater complexity and power of com- 
position as compared with Andrea. (2) Nativity. (3) Ado- 
ration of the Magi. (4) Finding of Christ in the Temple. 
Observe in all the conventional treatment. Above, (5) 
Baptism of Christ. Compare with the (simpler) similar 
subject on Andrea Pisano's gate . also, with the contempo- 
rary pictures. (6) The Temptation, a fine conception, much 
above any previous one. (7) Chasing the money-changers 
from the Temple. (8) Christ and Peter on the water. (9) 
The Transfiguration. (10) The Raising of Lazarus : note 
the bystanders. (11) The Entry into Jerusalem. (12) The 
Last Supper. A difficult composition. (13) The Agony in 
the Garden : all the attitudes are conventional. (14) The 
Kiss of Judas. (15) Flagellation. (16) Christ before Pilate. 
(17) The Bearing of the Cross (Way to Calvary). (18) The 
Crucifixion. (19) The Resurrection : very conventional. 
(20) The Ascension. 

All these reliefs should be carefully studied, as realizations 
in plastic art of scenes which will be found in very similar 
forms among painted Lives ot Christ elsewhere. (See, for 
example, the same moments in the Fra Angelicos in the 
Belle Arti.) The advance upon Andrea Pisano in com- 
position, anatomy, and treatment ot nature should also be 
noted. Specially admirable in this way is the spirited scene 
of the Entry into Jerusalem. 

The eight panels below represent : 1st tier, the Four 
Evangelists, with their symbolical animals (irregular order) : 
Matthew (angel), Mark (lion), Luke (bull), John (eagle). 
Beneath them are the Four Doctors ot the Church, in 
the order of : Ambrose, Jerome translating the Vulgate, 
Gregory with dove at ear, Augustine holding the De 
Civitate Dei. (Each Doctor accompanies the cognate 
Evangelist.) Traces of gilding are here also abundantly 
apparent. Ghiberti was occupied upon this great work 
from 1403 to 1424. 

Now, go round to the third or Eastern door, which 
occupied Ghiberti for the remainder of his lifetime (1425- 



60 FLORENCE [in. 

1452.) In this marvellous task Ghiberti abandoned the 
simplicity of his earlier style, and endeavoured to produce, 
not so much reliefs as pictures in bronze, with effects of 
perspective not proper to plastic art. The result is never- 
theless most beautiful and striking. (Intermediate works 
between his two styles may be found in his font at Siena.) 
These are the doors which Michael Angelo declared fit for 
the gates of Paradise. See them about 10 a.m. on a bright 
morning, when the sun strikes them. The subjects are taken 
from the Old Testament history. 

Begin your examination at the top L panel, and proceed 
from R to L, alternately. Each panel contains several 
successive moments in the same subject. I will mention 
the most important, but several others may be discovered 
on close inspection. (1) The Creation of Adam ; of Eve ; 
God's communion with Adam ; and the Expulsion from 
Paradise (note the fig-leaves). (2) Adam tilling the soil ; 
Cain and Abel at their different vocations ; their sacrifices ; 
the murder of Abel. (3) The Exit from the Ark ; Noah's 
Sacrifice ; his Drunkenness, with Shem, Ham, and Japhet- 
(4) Abraham entertains the Three Angels ; Sarah at the 
door of the tent ; Hagar in the Desert ; the Sacrifice of 
Isaac. Observe the beautiful stone-pines. (5) Esau with 
his dogs comes to Isaac ; Rachael and Jacob; Isaac blessing 
Jacob, etc. (6) Joseph and his Brethren in Egypt, several 
successive moments, including the Finding of the Cup in 
the Sack. (7) The Giving of the Law on Mount Sinai. 
(8) The Ark carried round the Walls of Jericho, with the 
blowing of the trumpets. (9) The Battle against the 
Amorites. (10) Solomon receives the Queen of Sheba. 
You cannot too thoroughly examine these marvellous bronze 
pictures. 

Notice also the exquisite decorative heads, and the 
figures of biblical personages, the most beautiful of whom 
is perhaps Miriam with the timbrel to the L. I strongly 
advise you to get photographs of all these subjects, study 
them carefully at home, and then return to compare and 
re-examine the originals. Only thus can you gain some 



III.] THE CATHEDRAL GROUP 6 1 

idea of Ghiberti's life-work. Linger long over such exquisite 
groups as Abraham and the Angels, or Esau and Isaac. 

Now, enter the Baptistery. 

The interior, with its beautiful Tuscan-Romanesque 
arcade, on the second story, resembling a triforium, is much 
handsomer and larger than the plain exterior would lead 
one to suppose. (Outside, the Cathedral dwarfs it.) Parts 
of it are adorned with admirable early mosaics. The rest 
has fine inlaid marble-work. It would be impossible to 
describe all these in full . they can only be adequately seen 
on a very bright morning, when it is practicable to 
identify most of the figures by the aid of their inscriptions. 
The general architecture will remind you of Pisa. The 
arch of the tribune, which occupies the place of an apse, 
perhaps belongs in part to an early Roman building, — local 
tradition says, a temple of Mars. Notice that the reliefs 
outside the tribune bear reference to the History of St. 
John Baptist, as does almost everything else in this build- 
ing. L, the Profession of the boy Baptist ; R, his Preaching 
by the Jordan, with the approach of Christ ; further R, he 
baptizes the Saviour. 

Mount the steps to the high altar, an ugly modern work, 
replacing the beautiful mediaeval silver shrine, now in the 
Opera del Duomo. It is supported by the eagles of St. 
John, which you will find everywhere on this edifice (as 
elsewhere in Florence), and surmounted by a bad rococo 
group of John the Baptist and angels. The relief beneath 
the altar represents the Daughter of Herodias receiving the 
head of the Baptist. 

The fine early mosaic of the apse (1225) should be 
closely observed on a bright morning. It represents, R, 
the Madonna and Child ; L, St. John Baptist Enthroned ; 
centre, the Lamb with adoring patriarchs and prophets. 
Note that the figure of the Lamb is specially appropriate 
in a church of the Baptist, who first uses the word " Behold 
the Lamb of God," always placed on a scroll round the reed 
cross he carries. If you will search for yourself, you will 
find that the whole building is full of similar baptismal 
symbolism. 



62 FLORENCE [ill. 

Immediately to the L of the enclosure of the tribune is 
the Font (of 1371), the only one in Florence, all children 
born in the city being baptized here. (The ceremony 
takes place on Sunday afternoons, and is worth a visit.) 
The Font is adorned with good early reliefs of the Life of 
the Baptist, whose statue stands in a niche behind it. 

Now, go round the church from this point to the L, 
noticing the beautiful early inlaid pavement, much defaced 
by time, and representing, opposite the High Altar, the 
Signs of the Zodiac. 

Over the first altar, that of St. Mary Magdalen (who is 
often associated with St. John Baptist as the female 
penitent in the desert of Provence), stands her statue by 
Donatello. She is represented nude and haggard, clad 
entirely with her own long hair. These lean and hungry 
penitent Magdalens will be more fully explained, with 
reference to their legend, when we visit the Belle Arti. 
Compare there the very similar picture, attributed to 
Andrea del Castagno or Filippino Lippi, and balanced by a 
Baptist. Notice the inscriptions and eagle. 

Just to the R of the High Altar is the beautiful tomb of 
John XXIII, " formerly Pope " — an anti-Pope deposed by 
the Council of Constance. It was erected by his friend 
and adherent, Cosmo de' Medici, who declined to alter the 
inscription to please the successful rival. The recumbent 
figure of the deceased in gilt bronze on the tomb is by 
Donatello, but still not beautiful. Beneath are Faith, Hope, 
and Charity, the first by Michelozzo. The Madonna and 
Child above are very pleasing. 

The dome has early mosaics of Our Lord in the centre, 
surrounded by adoring Angels. The other subjects (best 
identified by photograph beforehand, and then studied on 
the spot) are the Last Judgment, Life of the Baptist, Life 
of Christ, Story of Joseph, Creation, and Flood. 



From the old, proceed to the new Cathedral: contrast 
its Gothic architecture with the Tuscan-Romanesque of 
the Baptistery. 



III.] THE CATHEDRAL GROUP 63 

The modern facade, by De Fabris, is a fine though 
florid piece of recent Italian Gothic workmanship, and is 
full of symbolism, both of the Blessed Virgin and of the 
Florentine Saints (Reparata, Zanobi, etc.) especially com- 
memorated in this cathedral. To describe it in full, 
however, would be alien from the historical character of 
these Guide-books. I will therefore only call attention to 
the (patroness) Madonna and Child, enthroned, in the great 
niche under the Rose Window (Sarrocchi). The saints to 
R and L have their names inscribed, and the words can be 
read by the aid of an opera-glass. Also, note the Assump- 
tion of the Madonna in a mandorla, in the pediment, just 
beneath, and the figures of Santa Reparata and San Zanobi 
on either side of the doorway. Those who desire to follow 
the subject further can do so by the aid of the large designs 
in the Museum of the Opera del Duomo. I cannot un- 
reservedly share in the frequent English utter condemna- 
tion of this florid and somewhat gaudy work, which, in 
spite of much over-elaboration and a few gewgaws, seems 
to me not wholly unworthy of the place it occupies. 

Proceed round to the South Side to view the earlier 
part of the building. Under the first window, interesting 
old inscription, which should be read by those who know 
Latin. Just beyond it, charmingly infantile mediaeval re- 
lief of the Annunciation, where the division between the 
Madonna and the angel is even more marked than usual. 
Stand by the doorway of the Campanile, to examine the 
general effect of the South Side. Observe the exquisite 
double windows, with twisted columns, and the infinite 
variety of the inlaid marble-work. (I cannot describe all 
this, but go through it slowly.) Over the first door, said 
to be by Giotto, good statue of the Madonna and Child, of 
the 14th century. Above it, Christ blessing. Higher still, 
Annunciation, in two separate niches. Do not omit to note 
the architecture of all these niches, and of the columns 
which support them. Observe that as this is a church of 
Our Lady, almost all the decorations have reference to her 
history. 



[„, 



64 FLORENCE [: 

Second South Door, called the Canons' Entrance, by 
Lorenzo di Giovanni (1397). In the tympanum, relief of the 
Madonna and Child, with two adoring angels, very dainty. 
Above it, a Pieta. Observe the decorative work and statues 
on this beautiful doorway, foreshadowing the Renaissance. 
Close by, near the door, is one of the best points of view for 
Giotto's Campanile. 

Here the South Transept, with its round (or rather 
obtuse-angled) apse, projects into the Piazza. Stand on the 
steps opposite, between the statues of the two principal 
architects, Arnolfo and Brunelleschi (the latter gazing up at 
his great work), in order to take in the arrangement of this 
Transept, with its cupola, etc., and the dome behind it, as well 
as the fine angular view of the Campanile. Do not hurry over 
the exterior of the Cathedral. Look at it slowly. It cost 
many lives to build, and is worth an hour or two of your 
time to examine. 

Now, go round the South Transept, and stand near the 
door of the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore to look up at 
the Dome, whose cornice and arcade are finished on this 
side only. Elsewhere are seen the empty places where a 
similar arcade and cornice were to have been carried round 
it. Observe also the minor clustered cupolas below the 
dome. If you will carefully note the exterior architecture 
from this point of view, it will help you better to understand 
the interior. The portion facing you, which would elsewhere 
be the choir, is here devoted to the Tribune of San 
Zanobi, the great early bishop and patron. 

Pass hence round the North Transept and proceed to 
inspect the exterior of the N aisle. 

First door by Giovanni d' Ambrogio : in the tympanum, 
Annunciation in mosaic by Domenico and Davide Ghirlan- 
dajo, a beautiful Renaissance work, a little out of keeping with 
the Gothic exterior. Above it, a very fine relief by Nanni di 
Banco, Assumption of the Madonna in a mandorla (adapted 
from, or almost modelled on, a relief by Orcagna at the 
back of the great shrine in Or San Michele : compare the 
two by means of photographs : allowing of course for Re- 



III.] THE CATHEDRAL GROUP 65 

naissance progress). Our Lady is represented as just about 
to drop the Sacra Cintola or sacred girdle to St. Thomas, 
who kneels, a beautiful youthful figure, to the L below. [This 
is a subject which we have seen already in fresco at Santa 
Croce, and which will meet us frequently elsewhere in 
Florence (as, for example, in the Orcagna at Or San 
Michele), from the local importance of the Holy Girdle pre- 
served at Prato.] Donatello is said to have completed this 
lovely work. The figures are almost identical with Orcagna's, 
but the tree and bear to the R here replace two trees at 
Or San Michele. The statuettes on the pillars close by are 
by Donatello. 

The second N door, attributed to Piero di Giovanni 
Tedesco, and Niccolo d'Arezzo, has pillars resting on a lion 
to the R, and a lioness with her cubs to the L. In the tym- 
panum, the Madonna and Child, again, with adoring angels. 
Stand on the pavement opposite to take in the effect of this 
side of the Cathedral. I have only noted the chief points. 
But every saint in niche or on pinnacle can be identified by 
some sign, if you take the trouble to do so. 

Now, enter the interior, which is vast and very bare. 
Stand first by the central door, to observe the huge unim- 
pressive Nave, supported on either side by only four great 
arches, whose immense size and sparsity seem to dwarf the 
entire building. (Rows of columns like Pisa are much more 
effective.) Then, before you begin to examine in any detail, 
walk straight up the Nave, to its junction with the Transepts, 
in order to understand the nature of the architectural ar- 
rangement. The octagonal space, railed off with a low 
marble screen beneath the dome, is here, by a very excep- 
tional plan, the Choir. To R and L extend the Apses of 
the Transepts, looking incredibly small from within when 
compared with the vastness of their exterior. Note that all 
three ends in this direction have similar Apses. Then, walk 
round to the back of the choir, where what would usually 
be the chancel is known as the Tribuna di San Zanobi. 
Its High Altar contains the head and ashes of the sainted 
bishop, which are (or were) the chief object of local cult in 

E 



66 FLORENCE [ill. 

this Church. From this point of view, the general propor- 
tions of the interior can best be grasped. 

After thus gaining a general conception of the whole, 
return to the W end of the Nave. The objects in the in- 
interior worth notice are not numerous. Over the Central 
Door, Coronation of the Virgin by Christ, with adoring 
angels, in mosaic, by Gaddo Gaddi. To R and L, over the 
lateral doors, fresco-monuments in grisaille of Florentine 
generals, that to the R being the monument of the English 
partisan leader Sir John Hawkwood (Giovanni Acuto) who 
served the Republic as a Captain of Free Companies for 
many years : that to the L is Niccol6 Manucci di Tolentino. 
The Rose Window contains an Assumption of the Madonna. 

Proceed up the R aisle. Monument of Filippo Brunel- 
leschi, who designed the Dome, with his bust by his pupil, 
Buggiano. Monument (not contemporary) of Giotto, by 
Benedetto da Majano. L, holy water basin, with angel 
pouring, reminiscent of the school of Pisa. Tabernacle, 
with portrait of Sant' Antonino, Archbishop of Florence, by 
Morandi. Monument of Marsilio Ficino, who did much to 
introduce the study of Greek into Renaissance Florence. 

South Transept : R and L, statues of St. Philip and St. 
James by Giovanni delF Opera — part of a group of eight, 
ringing round the octagon. 

Over the doors, R and L, in the octagon, beyond the 
Transepts, two Delia Robbia reliefs, said to be the earliest 
works of Luca. That to the R represents the Ascension, 
that to the L, the Resurrection. Both are admirable. 
Behind the High Altar, a Pieta, the last unfinished work of 
Michael Angelo. 

In the Tribune of San Zanobi (occupying the place 
usually assigned to the Choir) to R and L statues of St. John 
(by Benedetto da Rovezzano) and St. Peter (by the futile 
Baccio Bandinelli). Under the High Altar of the Tribune, 
the **Arca or shrine of San Zanobi, containing his head and 
ashes. The exquisite relief in front of the altar, by Lorenzo 
Ghiberti, is in the same style as his later gates. It repre- 
sents San Zanobi restoring to life the son of the Gallic lady. 



III.] THE CATHEDRAL GROUP 67 

The child is seen doubly represented (as often in early 
works of the sort) first as dead, and then as restored to life 
again. The groups of bystanders are exquisitely rendered. 
When there is sufficient light to observe this relief, it should 
be closely studied ; but it is usually very dark and observed 
with difficulty. (See the legend in Mrs. Jameson. Many 
other representations of this the most famous miracle of 
San Zanobi are to be found in Florence.) There is a good 
plaster cast of the Area in the Opera del Duomo : see it 
there, examine the reliefs, and then return to view the 
original. 

From the steps behind the altar the best view is obtained 
of the (feeble) Last Supper by Giovanni Balducci. 

N Transept, to the R and L stand statues of St. Andrew 
(by Ferrucci) and St. Thomas (by Rossi). The windows are 
by Lorenzo Ghiberti. 

R and L of the Nave, in front of the choir, statues of St. 
Matthew (by Rossi) and St. James the Greater, by Jacopo 
Sansovino : all eight of these octagon statues are poor and 
uninteresting. 

N Aisle, near the first door, Dante explaining the Divina 
Commedia^ which he holds in his hands ; painted on wood 
by Domenico di Michelino, in 1465, by order of the Repub- 
lic. To the R, the town of Florence, with its walls, its 
Cathedral dome, tower of the Palazzo Vecchio, etc. ; in the 
background, the spiral mount of Purgatory : on its summit, 
the Tree of Life : above, in the air, the Celestial City or 
Paradise, represented by various vague circles. To the L 
the mouth of the Inferno. Above, as part of Heaven, are 
seen the heavenly bodies. On a bright day (when this 
picture is seen to advantage about 10 a.m.) students of Dante 
will find in it many familiar elements of the great poem. 
Beyond the second door, modern monument of Arnolfo. 
Near it, statue of the statesman and humanist, Poggio 
Bracciolini, by Donatello. The first pillar has a fine 
picture of San Zanobi between San Crescenzio and Sant, 
Eugenio, by Orcagna. 



68 FLORENCE 



III. 



Proceed one day in this connection to visit the Opera del 
Duomo, whose Museum is housed in a courtyard just 
opposite the Tribune of San Zanobi. Note the Roman 
remains in the courtyard ; the quaint lions ; and the Lamb 
of St. John, with Florentine lilies, over the doorway. 
(Lambs, eagles, and lilies pervade Florence.) The lamb 
and flag is the arms of the wool-weavers, an important guild. 

The Museum contains a few fragments from the old 
fabric of the Cathedral, and numerous pieces of many 
demolished works within it, as well as pictures from the 
Duomo or Baptistery, which (to say the truth) can be 
studied here to much greater advantage than in the gloom 
of their original situation. If you want to study closely, buy 
the official catalogue. Otherwise, use the hand-cards pro- 
vided in each room. Among the chief objects within, too 
numerous to mention in detail, are 

Ground floor, Roman fragments ; and (40) a fine 
Madonna of the School of the Pisani, probably by Giovanni 
Pisano. 

Stairs, Reliefs of Saints and Prophets, by Baccio Bandi- 
nelli and Giovanni dell' Opera. 

First floor, the beautiful **Singing= Lofts {Cantorie\ 
with groups of singing and dancing children, by Donatello 
and Luca della Robbia, once in the Cathedral. Examine 
these in detail. 

The one on the wall nearest the door by which you enter, 
is by Luca della Robbia, and is his loveliest work. No- 
where else has childhood been so sympathetically and 
naturally depicted. Luca always succeeds best with 
children : he must have loved them. Observe the exqui- 
site brackets supporting the Loft, which compare most 
favourably with Donatello's more ornate examples opposite. 
All the Renaissance decoration on this Loft is lovely. The 
four most visible reliefs illustrate the verse in the Psalm, 
"Praise the Lord (1) with the sound of trumpets, (2) with 
psalteries, (3) with harps, (4) with timbrels "; the words of 
the Psalm being inscribed beneath them. Those below 
illustrate the remainder of the text : " With dancing, and 



III.] THE CATHEDRAL GROUP 69 

with chords and the organ, and with cymbals." The figures, 
however, though intended to be seen at this height, are 
not altogether well designed for the purpose : they are 
best examined with an opera-glass, and the two detached 
panels on the wall to the L are more effective as now hung 
than those still left in the original framework. 

Donatello's Loft, on the further wall, is also a beautiful 
work ; yet here, if one dare say it, even Donatello suffers by 
comparison with Luca. His work is not, like the other, all 
of pure marble : it has a sort of inlaid mosaic background, 
while pillars, relieved with mosaic, unpleasantly interrupt its 
action — features which to me, in spite of the great intrinsic 
beauty of the decoration, somewhat mar the total harmony 
of the structure. Donatello's faces, on the other hand, 
though less sweet when closely examined, are better 
designed to be seen at this height than Luca's ; but the 
separate figures, exquisite as they are, seem a trifle boister- 
ous, and do not quite attain the same childish grace and 
ease of movement as his friendly rival's. Donatello's 
children are winged, Luca's are human. Sit long before 
each, and compare them attentively : there is nothing more 
lovely in their kind in Florence. 

The exquisite **High Altar in silver (97) comes from the 
Baptistery ; it represents, in the centre, St. John Baptist, the 
patron saint, and on either side, as well as at the end, Scenes 
from his Life, resembling in subjects those on the gates of 
the Baptistery. 

This noble work is of different dates : the main front is of 
1 366-1402, while the statue of the Baptist, more Renaissance 
in tone, is by Michelozzo, 145 1. The side-reliefs are still 
later: Birth of the Baptist, by Antonio Pollaiolo ; his Death, 
by Verrocchio, about 1477-80. Compare the dainty little 
scene of the boy Baptist starting for the desert with that on 
Andrea Pisano's door at the Baptistery. 

Notice also particularly, close by, 100, 101, the charming 
**groups of Singing Boys by Luca della Robbia, not in- 
cluded in the Cantoria (where they are replaced by casts), 
but the finest of the series. 



[ill. 

Among the pictures, some of the most typically interest- 
ing are : 80, Santa Reparata, holding the red and white 
flag, with Scenes from her Life and Martyrdom (many times 
attempted in vain), flanked by the other two patron saints, 
St. John Baptist and San Zanobi, much smaller. The same 
local trio are also excellently seen in 79, close by. I advise 
an attentive study of all these works, which give you types 
of the Florentine patrons, followed by a second study, after 
you have visited the Belle Arti, when their meaning and 
sequence will become much clearer to you. I do not pro- 
pose to treat them here at full ; but if you look round for 
yourself you will light upon many such interesting local 
traces as 73, the Decollation of St. John Baptist, with a 
singular halo ; 74, a mosaic of San Zanobi (1505), with the 
Florentine lily on his morse or buckle, and the city in the 
background ; 77 y Our Lady, a fine relief, by Agostino di 
Duccio; 79, St. John, with the two other patron saints (Santa 
Reparata holding the Florentine lily) : no, San Zanobi, with 
an Annunciation ; 108, the same, enthroned between two 
deacons, a good intarsia by Giuliano da Majano ; 107, the 
Baptist in the Desert, by Giovanni della Robbia ; 89, the 
Madonna, with St. Catherine and San Zanobi ; and so forth. 
Compare all the Santa Reparata and San Zanobi figures. 
In 109, the bishop is not San Zanobi, but St. Blaise, the 
patron of the woollen trade. Among other interesting 
objects, not quite so local, observe no, the Creation of Eve, 
a frequent subject, always so rendered, and to be seen also 
on the gates of the Baptistery ; and 90, a most singular 
martyrdom of St. Sebastian, identical in motive with the 
Pollaiolo in the National Gallery, and with a picture in the 
Uffizi : these represent a variant of the legend. 

Much of the early sculpture is also most beautiful ; 
perhaps the loveliest of all is 95, an angel by Niccolo 
d'Arezzo, a work almost in the style of the school of Pisa, 
balanced by 96, a most unusual-faced Madonna, forming 
between them an Annunciation, and both bearing distinct 
traces of classical influence. Note also 92 and 93, beautiful 
statuettes of Christ and Santa Reparata, by Andrea Pisano. 



III.] THE CATHEDRAL GROUP 7 1 

Under Donatello's singing loft, quaint Byzantine Gospel 
stories, in mosaic and enamel, giving early forms of scenes : 
and an embroidered Life of the Baptist, very interesting. In 
the first series note especially Christ in Hades (2nd tier, 
L) and Christ receiving the soul of Our Lady (3rd tier, r; 
for future comparison. I recommend to all who really wish 
to understand the evolution of art a close examination of 
these Byzantine compositions. 

The Second Room contains the designs for the faqade of 
the Cathedral by De Fabris and others. Those who desire 
to study the symbolism of the faqade can do so here to the 
greatest advantage. The sequence of the various designs 
affords a perfect history of architectural art in Tuscany. 
Notice also the cast of the Area of San Zanobi in the 
centre. 



For the Campanile, designed by Giotto, and carried on 
after his death by Andrea Pisano and Francesco Talenti, I 
must refer you to Baedeker. It is one of the loveliest 
architectural works ever planned : but it requires rather 
long inspection than description or explanation. All that 
is needed for its study (besides time) is your Baedeker and 
an opera-glass. The sculpture of the lower story, on the 
other hand, though important for the study of the evolution 
of that art in Tuscany, you had better defer till after you 
have visited the Bargello and Or San Michele. Its mean- 
ing and connection will then become clearer to you. You 
will understand Giotto's relation (as sculptor) to Andrea 
Pisano ; and Donatello's to Orcagna ; besides being in a 
better position to trace Donatello's own personal develop- 
ment. 



IV 

THE SECOND DOMINICAN QUARTER: 
SAN MARCO 

Tx T 7HATEVER else you see or leave unseen in Flor- 
id V V ence you cannot afford to ignore the Monastery 
of San Marco. This famous convent, a perfect museum of 
the works of Fra Angelico, the saintliest and sweetest of the 
early 15th cent, painters, was originally built for Silvestrine 
monks, but was transferred by Cosmo de' Medici to the 
Dominicans. In 1436, the existing buildings were erected 
by Michelozzo, whose handicraft we have already seen in 
the chapel of the Medici at Santa Croce. Shortly afterwards, 
Fra Angelico of Fiesole, a Dominican monk and inmate of 
this monastery, decorated the cells, cloisters, and chapter- 
house with famous frescoes, which represent the most ex- 
quisite work of the later Giottesque period, as yet wholly 
untouched by the Renaissance spirit. Fra Angelico is above 
all things an ecstatic and mystical religious painter. His 
panel-works, it is true, may be seen in the north, but his in- 
finitely greater skill as a fresco-painter can only be ade- 
quately estimated at San Marco, where he was painting for 
his own brethren, and for the glorification of the Dominican 
order. Even his exquisite and saintly work in the Cappella 
Niccolina at the Vatican fails to attain the same spiritual 
level as his delicate imaginings on the cells of his own monas- 
tery. The influence of Popes and Cardinals seems to have 
had a chilling effect upon his humble and devout spirit. It 
spoiled Raphael : it merely damped the saintly Dominican. 

At the end of the 15th cent., San Marco was also the 
home of the great prior and preacher, Girolamo Savonarola, 



IV.] THE SECOND DOMINICAN QUARTER 73 

the fiery reformer who was burnt at the stake in 1498. His 
cells and many memorials of him still exist at San Marco. 
Fra Bartolommeo, also a monk at this monastery, was deeply 
influenced by Savonarola ; so also were Botticelli and many 
other contemporary painters. Their work is full of the 
religious revival he inaugurated. Read up the whole of this 
period in Villari's Savonarola, at your leisure in the even- 
ings. 

The convent was secularised after the unification of Italy, 
and is now preserved as a public museum. Admission daily, 
1 lira : free on Sundays. 

Remember, then, these things about San Marco : (1) It 
is a Dominican monastery, and everything about it has 
reference to the glory, or the doctrine and discipline of the 
Dominicans. In this respect it may be regarded as a later 
and more spiritual edition of the Spanish Chapel. But 
simple piety is its note, rather than dogmatic theology. (2) 
It was founded as a Dominican house by the bounty of the 
Medici, whose patron saints (Cosmo, Damian, Lawrence,) 
reappear over and over again in many parts of it. (3) It 
was, in the early 15th cent., the home of Fra Angelico, 
and of the holy Archbishop St. Antonine, the later saint 
of Florence. (4) It was, later still, the home of Savonarola 
and of Fra Bartolommeo, many memorials of whom exist 
within it. 

But, more than all else, expect in San Marco the Glorifi- 
cation of St. Dominic and Dominicanism*] 

Go past the Cathedral, and take the Via Cavour to the 
left, passing (l) the Riccardi (Medici) Palace, the original 
home of the Medici family : notice its proximity to the 
Medici monastery. You will soon arrive at the Piazza ot 
San Marco. In front of you is the Church, which omit for 
the present. The door to the right of it gives access to the 
monastery. 

The exterior is unattractive. The outer cloister, which 
we first enter, is surrounded by a fine colonnade or loggia 
(Michelozzo), and encloses a pretty little neglected garden, 



74 FLORENCE 



c. 



The lunettes are filled with 17th cent, frescoes (by Poccetti 
and others), mainly relating to the life of St. Antonine, the 
famous Dominican Archbishop of Florence, and prior of this 
monastery. They are sufficiently explained by the inscrip- 
tions below them. But the chief objects of real interest in 
this court are the few *frescoes by Fra Angel ico, all bear- 
ing reference to the characteristics of the Dominican Order. 
Facing you as you enter is the figure of St. Dominic embrac- 
ing the Cross, representing the Devotion of the Dominican 
Order. The founder saint may usually be recognised by the 
little red star (here almost obliterated, but still just traceable) 
over his forehead. Immediately to the L of it, over the 
door of the Sacristy, St. Peter Martyr, with his wounded 
head and palm of martyrdom, placing his finger to his lips, 
in order to enforce the Dominican rule of silence. This 
fresco thus represents the Sanctity of the Dominican Order. 
Notice here and elsewhere the Medici pills displayed every- 
where. Midway, to the R, near the entrance to the Chapter- 
House, (which pass for the moment,) St. Dominic with his 
red star and open book, bearing the scourge of rods, and 
representing the Discipline of the Dominican Order. On 
the end wall, over the door of the Refectory, a Pieta. At 
the opposite end, over the door of the foresteria, or rooms 
reserved for the entertainment of strangers,** two Dominican 
monks welcome Christ, in the garb of a pilgrim — " Inasmuch 
as ye have done it unto the least of these little ones ye have 
done it unto me." This fresco therefore represents the Hospi- 
tality of the Dominican Order. For tenderness and beauty, 
it is unsurpassed by any work in this monastery. The next 
lunette has one of Poccetti's frescoes, interesting as showing 
Sant' Antonino in a procession, with a view of the cathedral as 
it then existed, giving the details of Giotto's unfinished/<zf<zdfe, 
afterwards demolished. Conspicuous among the spectators 
on the R may be noted Savonarola, in his black and white 
Dominican robes, as prior of this monastery. Near the 
entrance door, St. Thomas Aquinas with his book, standing 
for the Learning of the Dominican Order : also by Fra 
Angelico. 



IV.] THE SECOND DOMINICAN QUARTER 75 

Now return to the Chapter = House, on the opposite side, 
which contains the so-called ** Great Crucifixion, — in reality 
the Adoration of the Cross by the Monastic Orders, and 
more particularly by the Dominicans in this Monastery of 
San Marco in the Town of Florence. This is one of Fra 
Angelico's noblest paintings. Those who have only seen 
his small panels in the north will hardly be prepared for the 
freedom and vigour of this splendid picture. At the foot of 
the Cross stands a most touching group, with the essential 
figures of the fainting Madonna sustained by St. John, St. 
Mary Magdalen, with her long fair hair, and the other Mary. 
These are simply part of the conventional Calvary. The 
group to the R, however, for whose sake the fresco was really 
painted, represents the Founders of all the various Monastic 
Orders. Nearest the foot of the Cross, and in ardent adora- 
tion, as is right in a Dominican house, kneels St. Dominic 
himself, with his little red star, a most powerful figure. Be- 
hind him, also kneeling, is St. Jerome, the father of all 
monks, and founder of monasticism, with his cardinal's hat 
on the ground beside him. The two standing figures in the 
background represent St. Albert of Vercelli, in green and 
white, the founder of the order of the Carmelites, habited as 
bishop (a compliment to the great Florentine monastery ot 
the Carmine) : and St. Augustine, with his pen and book, as 
the founder of the Augustinian or Austin Friars, and author 
of the De Civitate Dei. (It was believed that the Carmelites 
were originally founded by Elijah, and only " revived " by 
St. Albert : hence his nearness to the Cross, and perhaps 
also the attitude in which he seems to be calling St. Jerome's 
attention, as if the Old Dispensation pointed the way to the 
New.) Next, again, in brown Franciscan robes, comes St. 
Francis with the Stigmata, bearing his usual crucifix. Note 
how well the difference is marked between the intellectual 
St. Dominic, the ascetic St. Jerome, and the ecstatic piety of 
St. Francis. Behind the last, standing, is St. Benedict, with 
the scourge, representing the Benedictines : in front of whom 
kneels St. Bernard with his book. Next, standing and hold- 
ing a crutch, is St. Romualdo, the founder of the Camaldo- 



76 FLORENCE [iv. 

lese, in his white robe. Close by kneels San Giovanni 
Gualberto, founder of the Vallombrosans ; these two being 
important monastic bodies in the neighbourhood of Florence, 
towards whom such politeness was only natural. Last of 
all, next the arch, the series is completed by the two most 
distinguished Dominican saints, St. Thomas Aquinas, stand- 
ing, and St. Peter Martyr, kneeling, with his wounded head. 
These two represent respectively the Learning and the 
Sanctity of the Dominican Order. Note that each saint is 
habited in the garb of the monastic body which he founded, 
while only the Dominicans themselves are permitted to show 
any minor members. Every face is characteristic of the 
Order it represents : every detail has its meaning. Look 
out for these : they will dawn upon you. 

The group to the L represents rather the Town of Florence 
and this Monastery of San Marco situated within it. At 
the foot of the cross of the Penitent Thief (distinguished by 
a halo from his reviling companion) stands St. John Baptist, 
patron saint of the town, as embodying Florence. Beside 
him sits St. Mark, the patron of the monastery, writing, in 
order that you may see he is an Evangelist. To the extreme 
L again, we have St. Lawrence with his gridiron, in rich 
deacon's robes, as representing Lorenzo de' Medici (the 
elder — Cosmo's brother) : while behind him stand the two 
patron saints of the Medici family, Cosmo and Damian. Of 
these, St. Cosmo, standing for Cosmo de' Medici, then the 
ruling power in Florence, looks up towards the cross in 
adoration ; while St. Damian, who is here merely because 
his presence is needed to complete the pair, turns away and 
hides his face, weeping— a very courtly touch for this saintly 
painter. The whole composition thus indicates the Devo- 
tion to the Cross of the Monastic Bodies, and especially of 
the Dominicans, more particularly as embodied in this 
Dominican house of San Marco, in this town of Florence, 
founded and protected by the ruling Medici family, and 
especially by the brothers Cosmo and Lorenzo. We can 
now understand why the Crucifixion is so relatively unim- 
portant in the picture, and why all the painter's art has rather 



/ 



IV.] THE SECOND DOMINICAN QUARTER 77 

been lavished on the three exquisite groups in the foreground. 
Study it all long. The longer you look at it, the more will 
you see in it. [The ugly red of the background was once 
covered by blue, but the pigment has peeled off or (ultra- 
marine being expensive) been removed on purpose.] 

Do not fail also to notice the framework of Sibyls, pro- 
phets, and patriarchs, nor the genealogical tree of Dominican 
saints and distinguished personages who form a string-course 
beneath the picture, with St. Dominic as their centre-piece, 
flanked by two Popes of his Order, and various cardinals, 
bishops, etc., whose names are all inscribed beside them. 
Look at each separately, observing that the saints have each 
a halo, while the Beati or " Blessed " have only rays round 
their head. (Read up in this connection the subject of 
canonization.) 

After sitting about an hour before this picture (for a first 
impression) proceed into the Great Refectory, at the end 
of the same corridor. A good later fresco here, by Antonio 
Sogliani, represents St. Dominic and the brethren at St. 
Sabina in Rome being fed by angels. This appropriate 
subject for a refectory is called the Providenza ; its obvious 
meaning is, " The Dominican Order receives its sustenance 
from the Divine Bounty." In the background is a Calvary, 
by Fra Bartolommeo, with St. John and Our Lady, while 
St. Catherine of Siena, kneeling with her lily to the R, 
signifies the participation of the female branch of the 
Dominicans in the same divine protection. (The figure to 
the L I take for St. Antonine.) Observe always the mean- 
ing and relevancy of refectory frescoes : the most frequent 
subjects are the Last Supper and the Feast of Levi. 

The central door gives access to the corridor which leads 
to the upper story. On the L of this corridor is the 
entrance to the Smaller Refectory, which contains a fine 
fresco by Ghirlandajo of the Last Supper. In this work 
Judas is represented after the earlier fashion (as at Santa 
Croce) seated opposite to Christ in the foreground. (Another 
Cenacolo by Ghirlandajo, so closely similar to this as to be 
almost a replica, exists in the Refectory of the monastery of 



78 FLORENCE [ IV . 

Ognissanti in this town. The two should be visited and 
compared together. Those who feel an interest in this 
frequent and appropriate refectory subject, should also 
compare the Giotto at Santa Croce and the Cenacolo di 
Fuligno in the Via Faenza.) Observe in this work the 
characteristic decorative background, the border of the 
table-cloth, the decanters and dishes, and other dainty 
prettinesses so frequent with Ghirlandajo, who delights in 
ornament. 

Mount the stairs to the First Floor. 

Opposite you, at the summit, is a beautiful ^Annuncia- 
tion, all the details of which should be closely studied. This 
is essentially a monastic treatment of the subject, severe and 
stern in architecture and furniture,— in which respect it may 
well be contrasted with such earlier treatments as Filippo 
Lippi's for the Medici Palace, now in the National Gallery 
at London. The loggia in which the scene takes place is 
that of the Church of the Annunziata, here in Florence. 
By a rare exception at San Marco, this picture has no 
distinctive touch of Dominicanism. On the other hand, 
you will notice in almost all the cells the figure of St. 
Dominic, often accompanied by the Medici saints, as a 
constant factor. All the frescoes here are by Fra Angelico 
himself, unless otherwise mentioned. Opposite this Annun- 
ciation is another version of St. Dominic embracing the 
Cross. His red star will always distinguish him. 

Continue down the corridor to the R, opposite this 
last picture, leading through the Dormitory of the monastery, 
and visit the cells from R to L alternately. Each has its 
own fresco. I give them as they come, irrespectively of the 
official numbers. 

(i) " Noli me tangere." Christ as the gardener, and the 
Magdalen. 

(2) Crucifixion, with Mater Dolorosa, and an adoring 
Dominican. 

(3) The Deposition in the Tomb, with St. John and the 
mourning women, partly suggested by the Giotto at Padua. 
Behind, St. Dominic with his lily, in adoring wonder. 



/ 



IV.] THE SECOND DOMINICAN QUARTER 79 

(4) Another Crucifixion with a Dominican worshipper 
(St. Peter Martyr). 

(5) Another "^Annunciation, with St. Peter Martyr ador- 
ing. The flame on the archangel's head is conventional. 
Notice the exquisite adoring figure of the Madonna, who 
here kneels to the angel, while in later treatments the angel 
kneels to her. This is again a very monastic picture ; the 
architecture is suggested by this very monastery. 

(6) The Bearing of the Cross, with an adoring 
Dominican (St. Thomas Aquinas ?) 

(7) Crucifixion, with Madonna and St. John, St. Dominic, 
and St. Jerome. Observe the cardinal's hat in the corner, 
which is St. Jerome's emblem. As before, the figures 
represent Monasticism as a whole and the Dominicans in 
particular. 

(8) Christ bound to the pillar to be scourged, accom- 
panied by a Dominican, similarly stripped for penance and 
flagellation. A mystical subject. 

(9) Nativity, with the ox and ass and other habitual 
features. St. Peter Martyr with his wounded head adoring. 
The figure to the L is St. Catherine of Alexandria. 

(10) A Pieta ; Peter and the maid, Kiss of Judas, 
Scourging (with only hands visible), Judas receiving the 
bribe, and other symbolical scenes in background. In the 
foreground, St. Thomas Aquinas with his book in adoration. 

On the wall, between this and the next cell, Madonna 
and Child with Dominican and Medici saints,-— a symbolical 
composition, similar to that in the Chapter House. Extreme 
L, St. Dominic; near him, St. Cosmo and Damian in their red 
doctors' robes, representing the family of the founder ; beside 
them, St. Mark as patron of this convent : on the opposite 
side, St. John the Evangelist, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. 
Lawrence with his gridiron, representing (the elder) Lorenzo 
de' Medici, and St. Peter Martyr (for Piero de' Medici). 
All the martyrs bear their palms of martyrdom ; — once more 
the Learning and Sanctity of the Dominican order, and 
this convent of St. Mark, with its Medici founder and the 
saints of his son and brother. Note, by the way, the draped 



80 FLORENCE [iv. 

child, the red cross behind the head of Christ, and the star 
which always almost appears on the Madonna's shoulder. 
The more you observe these symbolical points, the more 
will you understand Florentine pictures. I recommend the 
development and variation of the halo of Christ as a subject 
for study. 

(n) **The Transfiguration. Christ in a mandorla, with 
Moses and Elias ; His extended hands prefigure the cruci- 
fixion. Below, the three saints whom He took up into the 
mountain. L, the Madonna ; R, St. Dominic observing the 
mystery. 

(12) Crucifixion ; Madonna, Magdalen, an adoring St. 
Dominic. 

(13) Scourging and Buffeting ; the Crown of Thorns. 
Only the hands and heads are seen : Fra Angelico could 
not bring himself to paint in full this painful scene. Below, 
St. Dominic reverently looking away from it. 

(14) Baptism of Christ ; the positions, and the angels on 
the bank, are conventional. Observe them elsewhere. To 
the R, two Saints adoring. 

(15) Resurrection, with the Maries at the sepulchre. Their 
attitudes are admirable. On the L, St. Dominic adoring. 

(16) Crucifixion, a symbolical treatment with angels and 
the usual St. Dominic. 

(17) **Coronation of the Virgin, a most lovely subject, 
in celestial colouring. Below, adoring saints, conspicuous 
among whom are not only St. Dominic, St. Thomas Aquinas, 
St. Peter Martyr and St. Mark, but also, by a rare conces- 
sion, St. Francis with the Stigmata. This is a compliment 
to our Franciscan brethren. Perhaps the cell was lent to 
Franciscans. 

(18) Crucifixion, in this case with no Dominican sym- 
bolism. 

(19) "^Presentation in the Temple, with a charming girlish 
Madonna. The St. Joseph behind is a marked type with 
Fra Angelico. Observe him elsewhere. On either side, 
St. Peter Martyr and St. Catherine of Siena — the male and 
female representatives of Dominican piety. 



IV.] THE SECOND DOMINICAN QUARTER 8l 

(20) Madonna and Child, with St. Thomas Aquinas, and 
(I think) St. Zenobius, bishop of Florence. He often ap- 
pears in works in this city. 

The cells to the R, along the next corridor, all contain 
repetitions of a single subject, — the Crucifixion, with St. 
Dominic in adoration, but in varied attitudes, all of them 
significant. They need not be particularised. These fres- 
coes are said to have been executed by Fra Angelico's 
brother, Fra Benedetto, who also assisted him in some of 
the preceding. At any rate they are the work of a pupil 
and imitator. The cells were those inhabited by the 
novices. 

The last three cells in this corridor were those inhabited 
by Savonarola, as the little Latin inscription testifies. The 
first contains his bust, with a modern relief of his preaching 
at Florence (by Dupre). The walls have frescoes by Fra 
Bartolommeo, contrasting ill with his mediaeval prede- 
cessor : Christ as a pilgrim received by two Dominicans, 
etc. The second contains a portrait of the great prior by 
Fra Bartolommeo, and Savonarola relics. The third has a 
curious picture of the scene of his burning in the Piazza 
della Signoria, — interesting also as a view of the Florence of 
the period. (Read up the period in Villari : see also George 
Eliot's Romola). 

Now, return to the head of the staircase by which you 
entered, and proceed to examine the cells in the corridor 
beyond the great Annunciation. 

The first to the L contains a quaint genealogical tree of 
the Dominican order, and several relics, sufficiently described 
on their frames. These are the rooms of St. Antoninus, 
and contain the bier on which his body used to be carried 
in procession. It now rests in the adjoining church. The 
fresco represents Christ delivering the souls of the pious 
dead from Hades. Notice the personal Hades crushed 
under the doors of Hell, as described in the Apocryphal 
Gospel of Nicodemus. The white robe, and the banner 
with the red cross, always mark Christ after the Crucifixion 
till the Ascension. Observe the lurking devils in the cran- 

F 



82 FLORENCE [iv. 

nies. Conspicuous among the dead is the figure of St. John 
Baptist, patron of Florence, who, having predeceased the 
Saviour, was then in Hades. Study this picture closely. 

(2) L, Christ and the Twelve; the Sermon on the 
Mount. (3) In the small cell adjoining, two scenes of the 
Temptation, with ministering angels. (4) Another Cruci- 
fixion, with fainting Madonna and an adoring Dominican. 

Beyond this cell, the door to the R gives access to the 
Library, whose architecture has coloured several of Fra 
Angelico's pictures in the Dormitory. The cases contain 
beautiful illuminated manuscripts, chiefly by Fra Benedetto, 
all of which should be inspected, though description is im- 
possible. 

Next cell, R, Crucifixion, with St. Longinus piercing the 
side of Christ, and an adoring Dominican. St. Martha, 
exceptionally represented in this picture, has her name in- 
scribed accordingly. She occurs elsewhere here : I do not 
know the reason, but one must be forthcoming. Could it 
have been the name of the painter's mother or sister ? 

L, the Kiss of Judas, unusually spirited, with Roman 
soldiers, and Peter cutting off the ear of Malchus (a constant 
concomitant). This picture has perhaps more action than 
any other by Fra Angelico. Also, in a frame, *Madonna 
della Stella, one of Fra Angelico's most famous smaller 
works. 

In the adjacent cell, an exquisite little ^tabernacle of the 
Coronation of the Virgin, closely resembling the well-known 
picture in the Louvre. The saints below are worth the 
trouble of identifying. Fragment of a fresco of the Entry 
into Jerusalem. 

Next, the Agony in the Garden, with Mary and Martha. 
An exquisite little tabernacle of the Annunciation and the 
Adoration of the Magi. Contrast Fra Angelico's style in 
fresco and panel. Below, a row of named saints : identify 
their types. 

Then, the Last Supper, an unusual and symbolical treat- 
ment with wafers and patina : say rather, a mystic Institution 
of the Eucharist. Four Apostles have risen from their seats 



/ 



IV.] THE SECOND DOMINICAN QUARTER 83 

and kneel : on the other side, a kneeling saint in white — 
not, I think, Our Lady. Notice the quaint device of the 
windows, in order to suggest the upper chamber. 

Last cells on L, Christ being nailed to the Cross (with 
Nicodemus, Joseph of Aramathsea, and Longinus), and a 
Crucifixion, with St. Dominic spreading his arms in adora- 
tion, and St. Thomas with his book, philosophically contem- 
plating the mystery of redemption. Observe such frequent 
touches of characterisation. Note, too, the halo on the 
penitent thief, whose anatomy is unusually good for Fra 
Angelico. 

On the end wall, tapestry with the arms of the Medici. 

The cells to the R are those which were occupied by Cosmo, 
Pater Patriae, when he retired to the convent, in retreat, for 
prayer and meditation. The first therefore contains a Cruci- 
fixion, with St. Cosmo, St. John, and St. Peter Martyr (the 
last two as patrons of Giovanni and Piero de' Medici). 
Cosmo could thus pay his devotions to the Saviour before 
his own patron and those of his sons. The upper cell, where 
Cosmo slept, contains a Pieta, above which is the Adoration 
of the Magi, doubtless as representing worldly authority 
submitting to the Church, and therefore most appropriate 
for the retreat of the powerful founder. Notice the charac- 
teristic figure of Joseph. The attitudes of the Three Kings 
also occur exactly alike in many other pictures. The train 
of attendants with horses and camels to the R (most fearsome 
monsters) are also characteristic. The riders are supposed 
to be observing the Star in the East. Notice the attempt to 
introduce types of Orientals, some of whom have truly 
Asiatic features. This cell also contains a good terracotta 
bust of St. Antoninus, and a portrait of Cosmo (in the dress 
of his patron saint) by Pontormo, of the 16th century (not of 
course contemporary, but reconstructed from earlier mate- 
rials). St. Antoninus used here to converse with Cosmo, 
who also received Fra Angelico. 

After visiting the monastery of San Marco, I advise you 
to pay a brief visit to the Church of San Marco by its 



84 FLORENCE [iV. 

side, — originally, of course, the chapel of the monastery. 
The facade is of the 18th century, and ugly, but contains in- 
teresting symbolism of St. Mark, St. Dominic, St. Antonine, 
etc., which you will now be in a position to understand, for 
yourself. In the porch, on the holy water stoup, and else- 
where, the balls of the Medici. 

The interior, though ancient, was so painfully altered in 
the 1 6th century as to preserve little or nothing of its 
original architecture. It contains, however, a few old works, 
the most interesting of which are a Christ on a gold ground 
over the central door, said to be by Giotto. (Compare with 
several old crucifixes in the Uffizi.) The Madonna over the 
second altar is by Fra Bartolommeo, a monk of the monas- 
tery. Over the third altar (St. Dominic's) is an early Christian 
mosaic of the Madonna, from Rome, so greatly modernised, 
with new saints added, as to be of little or no value. But 
the most interesting object in the church is the Chapel of 
St. Antonine, prior of the monastery, and Archbishop of 
Florence, whose cells you have already seen in the adjoining 
dormitory. It still contains the actual body of the Arch- 
bishop. The architecture is by Giovanni da Bologna, who 
also executed the statue of the saint. The other statues 
(poor) are by Francavilla. The frescoes by the entrance 
represent the Burial and Translation of St. Antonine. This 
chapel, ugly enough in itself, helps one to understand the 
late frescoes in the monastery. The church also contains 
the tombs of the two distinguished humanists and friends of 
the Medici, Pico della Mirandola and Poliziano. You will 
not fail to observe, throughout, the Dominican character of 
the church, nor its close relation to the adjoining monastery 
and its inmates. 






Visit some other day the Riccardi, formerly the Medici 
Palace, close by, the original home of the great family, 
before it migrated to the Pitti. The chapel is very dark ; 
therefore, read all that follows before starting. This palace 
was built in 1430 for Cosimo Pater Patriae by Michelozzo, 
the Medici architect, who also built the Monastery of San 



IV.] THE SECOND DOMINICAN QUARTER 85 

Marco and the Medici Chapel at Santa Croce, as well as 
Piero de' Medici's pretty little baldacchino or shrine at 
San Miniato. Compare all these, in order to understand 
Michelozzo's place in the evolution of Renaissance archi- 
tecture. Note, too, how the politic Medici favoured both 
the important monastic bodies. This was the Palace of 
Lorenzo de' Medici, and it continued to be the family home 
till the Medici migrated about 1549 to the Pitti. It was sold 
ten years later to the Riccardi family, whose name it still 
bears ; and it is now the Prefecture. 

The exterior of the Palace is very handsome : the rustica 
work here for the first time is made to taper upward. Ad- 
mirable cornice. The Court is imposing : it contains a 
curious jumble of tombs, busts, sarcophagi, antique inscrip- 
tions, and mediaeval fragments. The medallions above the 
arcades are by Donatello, after antique gems. The total 
effect is too mixed to be pleasing. 

But the great reason for visiting the Medici Palace is the 
Chapel : (ask the porter ; fee, half a franc). This dark 
little building is entirely covered with one gorgeous ** fresco 
by Benozzo Gozzoli, painted by means of artificial light, 
about 1460 — his greatest work, — and one of the loveliest 
things to be seen in Florence. It represents the journey 
of the Three Kings to Bethlehem, represented as a stately 
mediaeval processional pageant through a delicious and 
varied landscape background. Benozzo was a pupil of Fra 
Angelico, and he took much from his master, as well as 
some hints from Gentile da Fabriano's Adoration of the 
Magi, now in the Belle Arti (but then at Santa Trinita), 
which you will see hereafter ; the two should be carefully 
compared together. Therefore, on this account also, you 
should bear in mind the double connection between San 
Marco and the Medici Palace. Note, however, that Benozzo 
has a sense of landscape and pretty fantastic adjuncts 
denied to Fra Angelico's ascetic art, and only shared in part 
by Gentile de Fabriano. At San Marco all is monastic 
sternness ; at the Medici Chapel, all is regal and joyous, all 
glitters with gold and glows with colour. 



86 FLORENCE [iv. 

On the L wall, the Eldest King, mounted on a white mule 
(cruelly mutilated to make a door) rides towards Bethlehem. 
The venerable face and figure are those ot the Patriarch 
Joseph of Constantinople, who was then in Florence 
attending the abortive council already mentioned for the 
reunion of the eastern and western churches. A troop of 
camels bearing his present zig-zags along the mountain 
route in front of him. Notice also the hunting leopard, 
already introduced into a similar scene by Gentile da 
Fabriano, whose influence on Benozzo is everywhere 
apparent. 

On the end wall comes the Second or Middle-aged King, 
in a rich green robe, daintily flowered with gold. To mark 
his Eastern origin, he wears a turban, surmounted by a 
crown. The face and figure are those of John Palaeologus, 
Emperor of Constantinople, then in Florence for the same 
purpose as the Patriarch Joseph. His suite accompany 
him. Observe to the far L three charming youths, wearing 
caps with the Medici feathers. 

On the R wall, the Young King, on a white horse like the 
others, and wearing a crown which recalls Gentile, moves on 
with stately march in the same direction. This king is a 
portrait of Lorenzo the Magnificent. In front of him, two 
pages bear his sword and his gift. Behind him, various 
members of the Medici family follow as part of the pro- 
cession : among them you may notice Cosimo Pater Patriae, 
with a page leading his horse. Further back, some other 
less important personages of the escort, among them 
Benozzo himself, with his name very frankly inscribed on 
his headgear. 

On the choir wall, groups ot most exquisite and most 
sympathetic angels stand or kneel in adoration. These 
charming figures originally uttered their sonorous glories to 
the Madonna and Child in the central altar-piece, which has 
been removed to make way for the existing window. This 
altar-piece was by Benozzo himself, and represented the 
Adoration of the Child ; it is now in the Old Pinakothek at 
Munich. I do not know at what time the original Adoration 



IV.] THE SECOND DOMINICAN QUARTER 87 

was removed, but in 1837 Filippo Lippi's Nativity, now in 
the Belle Arti, filled the vacancy. 

I have very briefly described the main idea of these 
ineffably beautiful frescoes. You must note for yourself 
the rich caparisons of the horses, the shepherds and their 
flocks, the pomp of the escort, the charming episodes in the 
background, the delicious and fairy-like mediaeval landscape, 
the castles and rocks, the trees and bright birds, the hawks 
and rabbits, the endless detail of the fanciful accessories. 
Pomegranate and vine, stone-fir and cypress, farmyard and 
trellis, all is dainty and orderly. In these works for the 
first time the joy in the beauty of external nature, just 
foreshadowed in Gentile da Fabriano, makes itself distinctly 
and consciously felt. If the naive charm of Benozzo's rich 
and varied work attracts you, you can follow up their artist's 
later handicraft in the Campo Santo at Pisa, and in the lost 
little mountain town of San Gimignano, near Siena. 



THE BELLE ARTI 

f T) Y far the most important gallery in Florence, for the 
L IJ study of Florentine art at least, is the Accademia 
delle Belle Arti in the Via Ricasoli. This gallery contains 
a splendid collection of the works of the Tuscan and 
Urnbrian Schools, from the earliest period to the High 
Renaissance, mostly brought from suppressed churches and 
convents. It is destitute, indeed, of any works by Raphael, 
Michael Angelo, Leonardo, Titian, and the other chief 
painters of the early 16th century. But it possesses a magnifi- 
cent series of the great artists of the 14th and 15th centuries, 
when art was feeling its way, whose works are therefore so 
much more interesting to the student of the history and 
evolution of painting. It begins with a collection of Giot- 
tesque altar-pieces, and then leads gradually on, through 
the slowly improving art of the early 15th century, to the 
great group of glorious Florentines, Filippo Lippi, Filippino 
Lippi, Botticelli, Verrocchio, who immediately preceded 
the early 16th century movement in art which culminated in 
the Decadence. It is also the first gallery which you 
should visit, because its historical range is on the whole less 
varied, its continuity greater, its stages of development more 
marked, than in other instances. Being confined to the 
early painters of Florence and of the upland country behind 
it, it enables you more readily to grasp the evolution of art 
in a single province, up to the date of Raphael, than you 
can do elsewhere. I advise you, therefore, to spend many 
days in this gallery before proceeding to the Uffizi and the 
Pitti. Or, if this sounds too hard a saying, then look 



V.] THE BELLE ARTI 89 

through the two last-named casually first, but begin your 
definite study in detail with the Belle Arti.] 

Go to the Cathedral square, and then take the Via 
Ricasoli to your L. A little before you arrive at the Piazza 
of San Marco, you will see on your R a door which gives 
access to the gallery — officially known as the Reale Galleria 
Antica e Moderna. Open daily at 10, 1 lira. Free on 
Sundays. 

The First Room which we enter — the Outer Corridor — 
contains Early Tuscan panels, chiefly altar-pieces from 
suppressed churches, and of comparatively small artistic 
value. Nevertheless, as leading up to later works, and as 
exhibiting the characteristic assemblages of Florentine or 
Tuscan saints, they deserve the closest attention. I will not 
particularise as to many of them, but will call attention as 
we pass to a few interesting details. Unless you study 
these early and to some people unattractive works you 
cannot properly comprehend the later ones. I will lay 
stress only on the saints or motives which oftenest recur, so 
as to lead you gradually on to a knowledge of the 
subject. 

L wall, 51, Ascension : with St. Lawrence, as a Medici 
patron ; St. John, as patron of Florence ; St. Benedict ; and 
St. Mark. Above, in two separate lozenges, the Annuncia- 
tion. From a monastery in Florence. 

49, Crucifixion. Note the St. John and Magdalen, and 
the angel catching the sacred blood — a frequent feature. 
Look out for it elsewhere. The blood was preserved in the 
Holy Grail. Some of it is at Bruges and in reliquaries in 
other churches. 

47, Neri di Bicci, that late manufacturer of Giottesque 
pictures to order. St. Francis with the Stigmata, embracing 
the Cross; to the extreme R, the ascetic portrait of St. 
Bernardino of Siena. The other saints are Jerome, the 
Baptist, Antony of Padua, and the Magdalen. A Fran- 
ciscan picture. 

46, A Madonna, attributed most doubtfully to Cimabue. 



90 FLORENCE [v. 

It looks much more like a work of the school of Giotto. 
Notice the goldfinch. 

Among the group of Saints close by, notice again, 43, St. 
Lawrence, in his usual rich deacon's robes. From the 
monastery of San Marco. 

In 3$ we get once more a Holy Trinity (observe its 
composition) with St. Cosmo and St. Damian, St. Francis 
kneeling, and other saints. Do not overlook the medical 
instruments of the holy doctors, nor the little Annunciation 
in the predella. The remaining saints are named beneath. 
Observe always such named saints : they will help you to 
identify others by the emblems. 

32, Neri di Bicci, should be observed for its St. Apollonia 
with the pincers (often carrying a tooth elsewhere) and St. 
Catherine with the wheel. Note its spikes, which you will 
find tolerably constant. This picture came from the convent 
of St. Apollonia : hence the position of the saint and her 
sister martyr : St. Louis of Toulouse should also be noted. 

28, Same artist. A most characteristic Annunciation, 
with loggia, the orthodox division between the angel and 
Madonna, the Eternal Father discharging the dove, the bed- 
chamber in the background, and all the typical Giottesque 
peculiarities. I specially recommend a study of Annuncia- 
tions. This gives the commonest type : notice it carefully. 

In 27 you get the old patron saint of Florence, Santa 
Reparata, whom you saw so abundantly at the Opera del 
Duomo. 

In 26, note St. Barbara with her tower, as well as the 
characteristic Florentine figure of St. John Baptist. Thr 
bald head of St. Paul (with his sword, on the l) has the 
typical features always given to the Prince of the Apostles. 
The other saints are Benedict and John the Evangelist. 

22 is excellent for comparison of the central subject with 
the last ; while the St. Michael to the L, weighing naked 
*>ouls, and trampling on a highly Giottesque dragon, strikes 
a common keynote. To the R, St. Stephen, with the stones 
on his head, is equally typical. Note the circle of angels 
above, and the trio playing musical instruments below, who 



V.] THE BELLE ART I 9 1 

develop later into the exquisite child-cherubs of Raphael or 
Bellini. Every detail here is worth study, not as art, but as 
type or symbol. Go from one picture of a subject to others 
like it. 

In 21, St. Vincent Ferrer, the Dominican. Study him for 
future recognition. 

20 has a Trinity, noticeable for its very youthful Eternal 
Father. Compare its St. Michael with that in the last. 
The St. Antony the Abbot is also characteristic. To the 
extreme R beyond St. Francis, stands St. Julian, patron 
saint of Rimini. Do not overlook the six-winged red 
seraphs, and the Annunciation in the lozenges. The in- 
scription gives the name of the donor and the date, 1416. 

18, Another St. Bernardino of Siena, bearing the IHS, 
with which we are already familiar at Santa Croce. Observe 
the well-known portrait character of the pictures of this 
saint. From the Franciscan convent of Monte Oliveto. 

14, Bicci di Lorenzo. Madonna with cardellino or gold- 
finch : may be compared with the so-called Cimabue close 
by. Note that this is a Franciscan picture (from San 
Francesco in Fiesole) : therefore it has St. Francis with the 
stigmata, St. Louis of Toulouse habited as a bishop in a red 
robe, spangled with fleurs-de-lis, and with the crown which 
he rejected lying at his feet, as well as St. Anthony of Padua, 
holding the flames, and St. Nicholas of Bari with his three 
golden balls. Do not omit to note throughout such details 
as the flamelike ornaments on the heads of the angels, and 
the subjects represented on the Bishops' robes. All these 
will often cast light upon the nature of the subjects. 

Cross over the room to the opposite side and return to- 
wards the door. 

13, Another Franciscan picture, with the same three 
Franciscan saints as 14, reinforced by St. Bernardino of 
Siena, once more bearing his IHS ; St. Jerome, with his 
cardinal's hat and open book (as translator of the Vulgate), 
and St. Sebastian holding his arrow and palm of martyrdom. 
The last figure shows the work to be probably a votive 
offering for the plague, painted for a Franciscan church. It 



92 FLORENCE [v. 

comes from the Florentine convent of St. Jerome, whence 
that saint is introduced with the others. 

12. Life of the Virgin. Interesting to compare with Fra 
Angelico's scenes in the adjoining room, and with the little 
series of histories by Giotto to be noticed later. Contrast 
particularly with other treatments the Flight into Egypt and 
the Adoration of the Magi. The way in which Joseph 
examines the Elder King's gift is highly characteristic. The 
development of these subjects from those (in fresco) by 
Giotto in the Arena at Padua is very instructive. Do not 
omit the Madonna ascending above in a mandorla, with the 
kneeling donor, nor the little Annunciation in the lozenges 
of the gables. 

ii has its saints named. Compare them with 20 just 
opposite. You will thus be enabled to form a type of St. 
Julian. The St. Peter and St. Paul in the lozenges above 
are also typical. Note their features. You will by this 
time be familiar with the characteristic faces assigned to St. 
Anthony with his crutch, and to St. John Baptist. Observe 
in later art that the somewhat infantile innocence of St. 
Lawrence is preserved but modified. 

10. A Crucifixion. Note the scorpion banner, frequent 
with the soldiers who kill the Redeemer, and identify all the 
personages. 

9 is interesting for its inscription, and its group of saints, 
who are excellent types of their personages — Nicholas of 
Bari, Bartholomew, San Firenze (a local Bishop), and St. 
Luke. It comes from the church of San Firenze in 
Florence, which is why that saint is so prominent. 

8, by Ugolino da Siena, should be compared with the two 
works on the same subject (Coronation of the Virgin) by 
Neri di Bicci. In the great group of saints beside it you 
will now have no difficulty in distinguishing, to the L, St. 
Peter Martyr with his wounded head, in Dominican robes ; 
St. Paul, with his sword ; St. Bartholomew, with his knife ; 
to the R, St. Peter, with the keys ; St. John Baptist ; St. 
Dominic, with his lily ; and St. Thomas Aquinas, with his 
ray-bearing book. Notice that this is therefore a Domini- 



V.] THE BELLE ARTI 93 

can work. As a matter of fact, it long occupied the High 
Altar of Santa Maria Novella : which shows how important 
it is to understand the origin of a picture. You can now 
see why the Virgin is there (the church being hers) ; and 
why the Dominicans and St. John Baptist accompany 
her. A little inspection will also enable you to identify 
many other figures, such as that of St. Gregory the Pope 
(behind Peter and John), with the Spirit as a dove whisper- 
ing in his ear, as always. Remember each saint you 
identify, and use him for later identifications. 

In 7 you will have no difficulty in distinguishing St. 
Lawrence, St. Sebastian, St. James, St. John, etc. The 
gradino has subjects from the legend of Joachim and the 
Madonna — her birth, Presentation in the Temple, Sposalizio, 
etc., with which the frescoes in Santa Croce will have famili- 
arized you. 

6 contains a version of the frequent subject of the Virgin 
ascending to heaven and dropping her girdle, the Sacra 
Cintola, to St. Thomas, many variants upon which will occur 
in other rooms in this gallery. As the girdle was preserved 
at Prato, this was a common theme in this district. 

5 contains another Annunciation, where all the adjuncts 
are extremely typical. Observe the quaint figure of St. 
Luke painting the Madonna. In the other saint you will 
recognise St. Apollonia. 

4 is a somewhat unusual type of Presentation, with a good 
characteristic figure of St. Benedict. If you can read Latin, 
make out the inscription on this and other pictures. They 
often help you. 

I cannot too strongly recommend close study of these 
superficially unattractive pictures, which, nevertheless, con- 
tain the germ of all that comes after in Tuscan and Umbrian 
art. Go over them again and again, till you are sure you 
understand every figure. I would advise you to get the 
official catalogue, and note in every case whence the picture 
comes, as well as why the various saints are in it. 

Now pass straight along this entrance hall till you reach 



94 FLORENCE [v. 

The Cupola, 
with the **David of Michael Angelo transferred to this 
place from the door of the Palazzo Vecchio. This famous 
statue, the first great work in sculpture of the artist, was 
modelled out of a block of marble which had been spoiled 
and abandoned. (Read the good remarks on the subject in 
Baedeker.) In this youthful effort Michael Angelo shows 
more poetry, and less of his rugged massiveness, than in his 
later work. Both in painting and sculpture he is more 
attractive, indeed, in his treatment of the youthful nude 
male form than in his women or his elder men and draped 
figures. Remember that this is a great masterpiece. 

Adjoining the David are a collection of casts of all the 
plastic work of Michael Angelo. Taking this room in con- 
nection with the Medici tombs in the Nuova Sagrestia at 
San Lorenzo, you get a better opportunity of studying 
Michael Angelo's work as a sculptor than can possibly be 
attained anywhere else. As, however, these works require 
merely a general taste for sculpture, and close observation and 
comparison on the part of the visitor, for their proper apprecia- 
tion, they do not enter into the special scheme of this work, 
which is purely explanatory. I recommend long and atten- 
tive scrutiny of all, with the aid of such critical remarks as 
are to be found in the various valuable books on the subject 
of Michael Angelo by English and German critics (Springer, 
Symonds, etc.). Do not study the sculpture at the same 
visit with the pictures. Go to San Lorenzo on a separate 
day, and then come back here more than once for compari- 
son. 

Pass along the corridor containing the casts, and enter the 
first door on the L, which leads to the 

Sala del Perugino. 

This room and the two adjoining ones contain the noblest 
and most beautiful pictures of the Florentine Renaissance. 
Strictly speaking, in order to preserve the chronological 
order, you ought to go first to the Sala dei Maestri Toscani : 
but as you must return to the Academy many times, it will 
do you no harm to begin in this manner. 



V,] THE BELLE ART1 95 

To the R of the doorway is ** 57, a very noble Perugino, 
representing the Assumption of the Virgin, in a mandorla, 
surrounded by a group of cherubs in the same shape. Her 
attitude, features, and expression of ecstatic adoration, as well 
as the somewhat affected pose of her neck and hands, are all 
extremely characteristic of Perugino. So are the surround- 
ing groups of standing and flying angels ; the angel immedi- 
ately to the spectator's L of the Madonna has also the 
characteristic poise of the head. Above is the Eternal 
Father, in a circle, with adoring angels. Below stand four 
Vallombrosan saints, as spectators of the mystery : (the 
picture comes from the great suppressed monastery of 
Vallombrosa). You will grow familiar with this group in 
many other parts of the gallery, as most of the pictures were 
brought here at the suppression. The saints are, San 
Bernardo degli Uberti (in cardinal's robes) : San Giovanni 
Gualberto (the founder) : St. Benedict (in brown) : and the 
Archangel Michael. Note their features. The figure of 
St. Michael, in particular, may be well compared with the 
other exquisite St. Michael, also by Perugino, from the 
great altar-piece in the Certosa di Pavia, now in the National 
Gallery in London. This Assumption is one of Perugino's 
finest and most characteristic works. It deserves long and 
attentive study. Such compositions, with a heavenly and 
earthly scene combined, are great favourites with Umbrian 
painters. (See them at Perugia, and in Raphael's Disputa in 
the Vatican.) Do not fail to notice the beautiful landscape 
background of the country about Perugia. Study this work 
as a model of Perugino at his best. 

L wall, 56, * Perugino, the Descent from the Cross, a 
beautiful composition. The scene takes place in character- 
istic Renaissance architecture. The anatomy and painting 
of the dead nude are worthy of notice. Observe the way in 
which the Madonna's face and head stand out against the 
arch in the background, as well as the somewhat affected 
pietism of all the actors. R, the Magdalen and Joseph of 
Arirnathea ; L, St. John and Nicodemus. Notice their 
types. 



96 FLORENCE [v. 

Beyond the door, 53, Perugino, the Agony in the Garden. 
The attitudes of the Saviour and the three sleeping apostles 
are traditional. Look out for them elsewhere. The groups of 
soldiers in the background are highly redolent of Perugino's 
manner. So is the charming landscape. Compare this 
angel with those in the Vallombrosan picture first noted in 
this room. Observe Perugino's quaint taste in head-dresses. 
Also, throughout, here and in the Assumption, the Umbrian 
isolation and abstractness of his figures. 

Above, on this wall,* 55, Fra Filippo Lippi, a very charac- 
teristic Madonna and Child enthroned. The Medici saints, 
Cosmo and Damian, in their red robes, and two holy Fran- 
ciscans, St. Francis and St. Antony of Padua, stand by. 
The faces and dresses of the Medici saints are typical. The 
Madonna belongs to the human and somewhat round-faced 
type introduced into Tuscan art by Filippo Lippi. Note, in 
the arcaded niches at the back, a faint reminiscence of the 
older method of painting the saints in separate compart- 
ments. This is a lovely picture ; do not hurry away from it- 
It comes, you might guess, from a Franciscan monastery — 
namely, Santa Croce. I took you first to that church and 
Santa Maria in order that such facts might be the more 
significant to you. 

54, Fra Filippo Lippi, St. Jerome in the desert, with his 
iion in the background, and his cardinal's hat and crucifix. 
The impossible rocks smack of the period. This is a tra- 
ditional subject which you will often meet with. Don't 
overlook the books and pen which constantly mark the 
translator of the Vulgate. 

52, Cosimo Rosselli, St. Barbara. A curious but character- 
istic example of this harsh though very powerful painter. 
In the centre stands St. Barbara herself, with her tower and 
palm of martyrdom, as if just rising from the throne on 
which she had been sitting. Beneath her feet is a fallen 
armed figure, sometimes interpreted as her father, some- 
times as the heathen proconsul, Marcian, who ordered her 
execution. The picture, however, as the Latin elegiac be- 
neath it relates, was painted for the German Guild of 



/ 



V.] THE BELLE ART I 97 

Florence. Now, St. Barbara was the patroness of artillery 
(the beautiful Palma Vecchio of St. Barbara at Venice was 
painted for the Venetian Guild of Bombardiers) : I take the 
figure on whom she tramples, therefore, though undoubtedly 
an emperor in arms, to be mainly symbolical of the fallen 
enemy. In short, the picture is a Triumph of Artillery. 
To the L stands the St. John of Florence : to the R, St. 
Mathias the Apostle, with his sword of martyrdom. Two 
charming angels draw aside the curtains : a frequent fea- 
ture. Study this as a typical example of Cosimo Rosselli. 
It comes from the Florentine Church of the Annunziata. 

R wall, near the window, * 66, Ghirlandajo, a Madonna 
and Child, enthroned : in reality a Glorification of the 
Angels. (It must have come, I think, from some church 
degli Angeli.) To the L stands St. Dionysius the Areopagite, 
who was said to have written a treatise (still existing) on 
the angelic hierarchy (drawn from Hebrew sources). Kneel- 
ing at the feet is his spiritual father, St. Clement the Pope, 
as a secondary personage. To the R, St. Thomas Aquinas, 
in his Dominican robes and with his open book, as the great 
vindicator of the position of the angels. Kneeling at the 
feet is his spiritual father, St. Dominic. The picture was 
clearly painted for the Dominicans : but the figures are 
placed in diagonal order, I believe by some misconception 
of the donor's wishes. Observe that the angels in whose 
honour this fine picture is painted are here, quite exception- 
ally, provided with starry halos. Beneath the main picture, 
a series of little works in a predella, containing stories from 
the lives of these saints — decapitation of St. Denis (identi- 
fied with Dionysius the Areopagite) : he carries his head : 
St. Dominic restores the young man Napoleon to life, doubly 
represented, etc. 

65, above. Luca Signorelli, the Madonna embracing the 
Cross. A good sample of this able and powerful Renais- 
sance painter. 

Beyond the door, 62, ** Filippo Lippi's Coronation of the 
Virgin, the finest altar-piece by this great master. It is well 
to compare it with the earlier treatments of the same subject 

G 



98 FLORENCE [V 

in the Corridor, from which it is, oh ! how much, developed 
and beautified. I will not attempt any description of this 
noble and beautiful work, one of the masterpieces of early 
Italian painting. I will merely call attention to a few formal 
points in it. Notice first, in the centre, the extremely human 
Virgin, no longer the Queen of Heaven, but a Florentine 
lady, whose features reappear again in the touching figure 
in blue in the R foreground, with the two children (said to 
represent Lucrezia Buti, the painter's wife, and their two 
little ones, including Filippino. Read up the romantic story 
of their elopement in any good history). On either side of 
the throne, adoring angels with sweet childish faces. The 
rest looks confused at first, but will gradually unravel itself 
into a celestial and terrestrial scene, with saintly mediators. 
To the extreme R, St. John of Florence, preserving his 
traditional features, but transformed and transfigured by 
spiritual art. He introduces and patronises the kneeling 
figure of Filippo Lippi beside him, whom a scroll in Latin 
(" This man composed the work ") designates as the painter. 
To the L, St. Zenobius and other saints, amongst whom the 
patriarch Job is specially identified by the very inartistic 
device of writing his name on his shoulder. Do not over- 
look the frequent obtrusion of the Florentine lily. This 
picture can only be adequately appreciated after many visits. 
It is one of the most exquisite things to be seen in Florence. 
Very human in its models, it is divine and spiritual in its 
inner essence. 

Above it, 63, a Trinity, in the conventional form, by 
Mariotto Albertinelli : good, but uninteresting. 

The other pictures in this room, including the fragment 
of two charming little angels by Andrea del Sarto (from 
Vallombrosa), though deserving attention, do not stand in 
need of interpretation. Examine every one of them, espe- 
cially that attributed to Francia. 

Now, enter the room to the R, the 

Sala Prima del Botticelli. 
Facing you as you enter is ** 80, Botticelli's Primavera, 



/ 



V.] THE BELLE ARTI 99 

perhaps the most beautiful picture in the world. This ex- 
quisite allegory has been variously explained. I give my 
own interpretation. It is probably one of four panels re- 
presenting the seasons. In the centre stands the figure of 
Spring, who is therefore significantly painted as pregnant. 
To the extreme L, Mercury, the god of change, with his 
caduceus, dispels the clouds of winter. (Perhaps rather 
Favonius, the west wind, in the guise of Mercury.) Beside 
him, an unspeakably beautiful group of the Three Graces, 
lightly clad in transparent raiment, represent the joy and 
freshness of spring-time : on whom a winged and blind- 
folded Love, above the head of Primavera, is discharging a 
fiery arrow — since spring is the period of courtship and 
mating. The figures to the R represent the three spring 
months. Extreme R, March, cold and blue, blowing wind 
from his mouth (notice the rays), lightly clad, and swaying 
the trees as he passes through them. Next to him, as if 
half escaping from his grasp, April, somewhat more fully 
draped in a blue and white sky. On the hem of her robe 
green things are just sprouting. She seems as if precipi- 
tating herself into the lap of May, who, erect and sedate, 
fully clad in a flowery robe, scatters blossoms as she goes 
from a fold of her garment. March blows on April's mouth, 
from which flowers fall into the lap of May. The obvious 
meaning is "March winds and April showers bring forth 
May flowers," — a Tuscan equivalent for which proverb still 
exists in Italy. The action of March's hands probably 
represents the old idea that he borrows three days from 
April. I will not attempt to say anything about the aesthetic 
beauty of this exquisitely spiritual and delicate work. It is 
one of those profound pictures which must be visited again 
and again, and which gain in intensity every time you look 
at them. As to place, it was painted for Lorenzo de' Me- 
dici's villa at Castello : notice it as one of the first purely 
secular paintings, with Renaissance love of the nude, which 
we have yet come across. 

To the L of it, * 81, Pacchiarotto, Visitation. The central 
part of the picture should be compared with the Mariotto 



100 FLORENCE [v. 

Albertinelli in the Uffizi. The arrangement of the figures 
and the way they are silhouetted against the arch is almost 
identical. It should also be compared with the Ghirlandajo 
in the Louvre (where the first use of the arch in this way 
occurs) and other examples, such as the Giotto at Padua. 
This, however, is not a Visitation simple, but a Visitation 
with attendant saints, amongst whom to the L stands St. 
John Baptist. He, of course, could not possibly have been 
present at the moment, as he was still unborn — thus well 
showing the nature of these representative gatherings. 
Kneeling in the foreground to the R is St. Vincent, the 
patron saint of prisoners, holding handcuffs, whence it is 
probable that the picture was a votive offering for a release 
from Barbary pirates or some form of captivity. Behind is 
St. Nicolas of Bari, with his three golden balls. The other 
saints are the two St. Antonies — the Abbot, and the 
Paduan : note their symbols. Most probably the donor 
was an Antonio who wished to stand well with both his 
patrons. The architecture of the triumphal arch shows 
study of the antique. The bronze horses are suggested by 
those over the doorway of St. Mark's at Venice. Note the 
dove brooding above the picture. The technique of this 
somewhat hard and dry but admirable and well-painted 
work deserves close attention. I have entered at length 
into the evolution of Visitations in one of my papers in the 
Pall Mall Magazine. 

Below it, 82, Fra Filippo Lippi, a Nativity. Good and 
characteristic. Note the ruined temple, ox and ass, etc., as 
well as Lippi's nascent endeavour to overcome the difficulty 
of placing the attendant saints, well shown in the figure of the 
Magdalen to the R of Our Lady. He is striving hard after 
naturalistic positions. The infant, of course, is Lippi all 
over. Beneath the St. Jerome, observe the figure of the 
kneeling St. Hilarion, doubtless the name saint of the donor. 
The whole of this quaint work is highly interesting as 
exhibiting the conscious effort after greater freedom, not yet 
wholly successful. 

79, opposite, Fra Filippo Lippi, The Virgin adoring the 



V.] THE BELLE ARTI 101 

Child. A very similar picture. It should be closely com- 
pared with the preceding. The hands of God appearing 
through the clouds, discharging the Holy Spirit, are an 
interesting feature. Note again the attempt to introduce 
the youthful St. John Baptist of Florence in a more natural 
manner. Compare with the great Coronation of the Virgin. 
From about this time, too, Renaissance feeling makes the 
young St. John (more or less nude) tend to supersede the 
adult representation. Study these two pictures carefully. 
The saint in white is St. Romuald, the founder of the Camal- 
dolese : this altar-piece comes from Camaldoli. 

78. Perugino. Crucifixion, with the Madonna and St. 
Jerome, the latter attended (as usual) by his lion. Our 
Lady is a good figure, but the rest of the picture is unworthy 
of Perugino. It comes from the monastery of St. Jerome in 
Florence — whence the saint. 

76. Andrea del Sarto. Four Vallombrosan saints, origin- 
ally painted on either side of an adored Virgin, much older. 
To the L St. Michael ; observe the exquisite painting of his 
robe and armour. The other saints are San Giovanni 
Gualberto (the founder) ; San Bernardo degli Uberti ; and 
St. John Baptist. Compare them with the group of similar 
saints in Perugino's Assumption. Both for character and 
technique such comparison is most luminous. 

73. Botticelli, Coronation of the Virgin (from the monastery 
of San Marco). The main subject of this vehement work 
should be compared (or rather contrasted) with the early 
Giottesque examples. The beautiful and rapturous flying 
angels are highly characteristic of Botticelli's ecstatic con- 
ception. Observe the papal tiara worn by the Father. In 
the earthly scene below are four miscellaneous saints observ- 
ing the mystery : I do not understand the principle of their 
selection. They are, St. John the Evangelist, St. Augustine, 
St. Jerome, and St. Eloy (Eligius) the holy blacksmith. 
Look for the last, again, on Or San Michele, where one of 
his miracles is recorded in bas-relief under his statue, 
where he is similarly represented in his blacksmith's forge in 
the predella. See Mrs. Jameson. 



102 FLORENCE [v. 

R of it * Verrocchio's Baptism, perhaps the most famous 
example of this well-known subject. Somewhat hard and 
dry, with peasant-like ascetic features, the St. John is yet a 
noble figure, very well painted, with excellent anatomical 
knowledge. His position, as well as the cup which he raises 
and the cross which he holds, are strictly conventional : 
they may be seen in many earlier examples. So also is the 
course of the narrow and symbolical Jordan. The angels on 
the bank, replacing the earlier river-god of the Ravenna 
mosaics, and holding the conventional towel, are extremely 
beautiful. The softer and more delicately touched of the 
pair, to the L, is said to have been painted in by Leonardo (a 
pupil of Verrocchio) : and indeed it seems to bear the 
impress of that great painter's youthful manner. Do not 
overlook the hands discharging the dove. I have treated 
more fully the evolution of this subject in an article on The 
Painter's Jordan in the English Illustrated Magazine, 

70, Masaccio. A very inadequate specimen of this great 
painter. The Madonna and Child sit on the lap of St. 
Anne, a conventional position charmingly transformed by 
Leonardo in his well-known picture in the Louvre. 

On the base of this wall are several small stories of saints, 
which should be studied in detail. Among those by Botti- 
celli (already referred to), notice particularly St. Eloy (St. 
Eligius), the holy blacksmith, cutting off the leg of a refrac- 
tory horse, in order to shoe it, and afterwards miraculously 
restoring it : compare with the same subject at Or San 
Michele. Close by are a very charming series by Pesellino, 
the best of which is the Martyrdom of the Medici saints, 
Cosmo and Damian. Observe them for comparison with Fra 
Angelico in an adjoining room : read up in Mrs. Jameson. 

69, Michele Ghirlandajo (do not confound him with his 
great namesake), Marriage of St. Catherine of Siena (not 
Alexandria). Distinguish these two subjects. This is an 
unusual treatment, the Christ being represented as adult 
(He is usually an infant in this scene) and the Madonna 
as an elderly woman. Not a good picture, but interesting 
for comparison wtth others of this subject. The assistant 



v.] THE BELLE ARTI 103 

saints are St. Paul, King David, St. John, and St. Dominic. 
The insipid St. Catherine contrasts most markedly with the 
inimitably beautiful figure by Borgognone in the National 
Gallery. The picture comes from the Dominican convent 
of Santa Caterina at Florence, which explains all the 
characters. 

Beyond the door, Granacci, the Assumption of the Virgin, 
an unusually fine specimen of this comparatively late painter. 
On the ground below, St. Bernardo degli Uberti, St. 
Michael the Archangel, San Giovanni Gualberto, and St. 
Catherine of Alexandria with her spiked wheel. You will 
now have little difficulty in discovering for yourself that this 
is essentially a Vallombrosan picture. It comes from the 
monastery of Santo Spirito. 

Recross the Perugino Room and enter the 

Sala Seconda del Botticelli. 

Entrance wall, to the L, 98, a * Descent from the Cross, 
the upper portion by Filippino Lippi, with whose style you 
will already have become familiar at Santa Maria Novella. 
Filippino died, leaving it unfinished ; and the lower part, 
with the fainting Madonna and saints, was added by Peru- 
gino. This is an excellent opportunity for comparing the 
styles of the two painters. The Mary to the R, supporting 
the Madonna, is extremely Peruginesque in face and atti- 
tude. Note the three nails in the foreground, which recur 
elsewhere. Compare also the kneeling Magdalen with Fra 
Angelico at San Marco. Observe how differently hands 
and feet are by this time painted. In both parts of this 
picture we have good examples of the increased knowledge 
of anatomy, of the nude, of perspective, and of light and 
shade in the later Renaissance. Filippino's somewhat fly- 
away style is also well contrasted with Perugino's affectation 
and pietistic simplicity. 

Beyond the doorway, 97, Fra Bartolommeo, the Madonna 
Appearing to St. Bernard. A characteristic example of this, 
to my mind, overrated painter. The crowded arrangement 
of the attendant angels is very typical. Compare with the 



104 FLORENCE [v 

infinitely nobler treatment of the same subject by Filippino 
Lippi in the church of the Badia. I advise you to go 
straight there from this picture to visit it. 

Above it, 96, a good Andrea del Sarto, charmingly deli- 
cate in colouring. A Vallombrosan picture : the saints are 
again San Giovanni Gualberto and San Bernardo degli 
Uberti. 

94. Lorenzo di Credi, Nativity, with adoring angels. 
Compare this with 92 beside it, Adoration of the Magi, 
where the Child is almost identical. This exquisite painter 
is somewhat less successful in works on this larger scale 
than in the smaller examples of his art which we shall see 
at the Uffizi. Nevertheless, in 92, the shepherd to the L is 
a most charming figure. The smoothness and clearness of 
the style is conspicuous. Note throughout the conventional 
accessories. Nothing is more interesting than to see the 
way in which these and the landscape are transformed and 
improved from earlier usage. St. Joseph's feet are deserv- 
ing of study. 

Above, two ascetic Andrea del Castagnos. Of these, the 
companion figures of St. John Baptist and St. Mary Magda- 
len, (also combined in the Baptistery,) must be regarded 
from the point of view of the lean and hungry pentitent only. 
These pictures are good because they attain their object : 
they are expressions of a painful and repulsive ideal. 

90. RarTaellino del Garbo, Resurrection, with sleeping 
Roman soldiers. Worthy of attention for its conventional 
detail. 

%%. Botticelli, Madonna and saints. A Franciscan Medici 
picture. To the extreme L, St. Mary Magdalen with the 
alabaster box of ointment. Next her, St. John of Florence. 
Then, the kneeling figures of Sts. Cosmo and Damian, the 
former significantly placed on the Madonna's R. Beyond, 
again, St. Francis with the Stigmata, and St. Catherine of 
Alexandria with her wheel. The two female saints and the 
face of St. Damian are very characteristic ot Botticelli's 
manner. A beautiful but not wholly satisfactory example. 

85. * Botticelli, Enthroned Madonna, with adoring saints. 



V.] THE BELLE ART I 105 

Our Lady and the Child are highly characteristic. The 
angels drawing the curtains and holding the crown of thorns 
and three nails appear to be portraits of Medici children. 
They are very lovely. The female saint to the L, whom 
I take to be St. Catherine, is the familiar model reappearing 
in the Three Graces of the Primavera. St. John of Florence, 
in the foreground, admirably represents Botticelli's ideal. 
The St. Michael beside him, in refulgent armour, is also 
a beautiful embodiment. The other saints are St. Ambrose 
and St. Barnabas — the latter because the altar-piece was 
painted for the altar of his church in Florence. A picture 
not to be lightly passed over. 

84. Botticelli : (the ascription is doubted, I think 
unduly. Comparison of these two St. Michaels ought 
surely to satisfy the most sceptical.) The Three Arch- 
angels conducting Tobias, who holds the fish which is to 
cure his father Tobit. Such pictures are often votive offer- 
ings for escape from blindness. (Read the story in the 
Apocrypha.) The springy step of all the characters is 
essentially Botticellian. Notice the contrasted faces of the 
elder St. Michael ; the affable Archangel, Raphael, who 
holds the boy's hand ; and the spiritual Gabriel, with the 
Annunciation lily. Study these three Archangels closely. 
I advise you to compare all these Botticellis, noticing par- 
ticularly the peculiar sense of movement, the tripping grace 
and lightness of his figures, as well as the spiritual and 
elusive tone of his somewhat morbid faces. Botticelli paints 
souls, where Ghirlandajo paints bodies. 

(You cannot spend too much time in these three rooms, 
which form a perfect history of the art of the Renaissance. 
Supplement them by visits to the Brancacci Chapel at the 
Carmine, and a run over to Prato, where you will find the 
finest works of Filippo Lippi.) 

Now, go along the Michael Angelo corridor as far as the 
Long Gallery, and pass into the 

Sala Prima Toscana. 

This contains works of the earlier mediaeval type, the 
culminating point of Giottesque painting. 



106 FLORENCE [v. 

In front of you as you enter, on easels in the middle, are 
two of the noblest and most beautiful pictures of the early 
15th century. That to the L is ** Gentile da Fabriano's 
Adoration of the Magi, the most gorgeous altar-piece of the 
Early Umbrian School, still enclosed in its original setting 
of three arches. This great work, which comes from the 
Sacristy of Santa Trinita in Florence, should be closely 
studied in all its details. Contrary to custom, the Madonna 
occupies the L field. The ruined temple and shed to the L, 
the attendants examining the Elder King's gift, the group 
of the Madonna and Child, with Joseph in his conventional 
yeFow robe, and the Star which stands "over the place 
where the young Child was," should all be observed and 
compared with other pictures. (I may mention parentheti- 
cally that the Star of Bethlehem in Adorations is in itself 
worth study, being sometimes inscribed with the human 
face, and sometimes developed in curious fashions.) 
Examine also the group of the Three Kings, the eldest 
of whom, as usual, is kneeling, having presented his gift and 
removed his crown ; while the second is in the act of offer- 
ing, and the third and youngest, just dismounted from his 
horse, is having his spurs removed by an obsequious at- 
tendant. The exquisite decorative work of their robes, the 
finest product of the Early Umbrian School, deserves close 
attention. Note, next, the cavern of the Apocryphal Gospels 
in the background, with the inevitable ox and ass of the 
Nativity. The two or three servants who formed the sole 
train of the Magi in earlier works have here developed 
into a great company of attendants, mounted on horses and 
camels, to mark their oriental origin, and dressed in what 
Gentile took to be the correct costumes of Asia and Africa. 
Note the excellent drawing (for that date) of some of the 
horses, and the tolerably successful attempts at foreshorten- 
ing. Observe likewise the monkeys, the hunting leopard, 
the falcons, and the other strange animals in the train of the 
Kings, to suggest orientalism. All this part of the picture 
should be closely compared with the inexpressibly lovely 
Benozzo Gozzoli of the Procession of the Kings in the 



V.] THE BELLE ART1 1 07 

Riccardi Palace. The face of the Young King is repeated in 
one of the suite to the extreme R. Examine all these faces 
separately, and observe their characterization. Do not over- 
look the fact that the principal ornaments in this splendid 
picture are raised in plaster or gesso-work, and then gilt and 
painted. 

The background of the main picture also contains three 
separate scenes of the same history. In the L arch, the 
Three Kings, in their own country, behold the Star from the 
summit of a mountain. In the centre arch, they ride in 
procession to enter Jerusalem and enquire the way of Herod. 
In the R arch, they are seen returning to their own country 
Do not be satisfied, however, with merely identifying these 
points to which I call attention ; if you look for yourself, you 
will find others in abundance well worth your notice. This 
is a picture before which you should sit for long periods 
together. 

Two subjects remain in the predella, the third is missing 
here (now in the Louvre, Presentation in the Temple). To 
the L is the Nativity, with the angels appearing to the shep- 
herds. In the centre is the Flight into Egypt. 

The gable-ends or cuspidi also contain figures, which do 
not seem to me by the same hand. R and L, the Annuncia- 
tion, m two separate lozenges ; centre, the Eternal Father, 
blessing. The scrolls with names will enable you to identify 
the recumbent kings and prophets. 

This picture, dated 1423, strikes the keynote for early 
Umbrian art. Observe how its Madonna leads gradually 
up to Perugino and Raphael. Softness, ecstatic piety, and 
elaborate decoration are Umbrian notes. You cannot study 
this work too long or too carefully. 

The second of these great pictures is Fra Angelico's 
Descent from the Cross, — his finest work outside the realm 
of fresco. This also deserves the closest study. Observe 
that, in spite of its large size, it is essentially miniature. 
To the L is the group of the Mater Dolorosa and the mourn- 
ing Maries. Hard by, the Magdalen, recognisable (as 
always) by her long golden hair, is passionately kissing the 



108 FLORENCE [v. 

feet of the dead Saviour. St. Nicodemus and St. Joseph of 
Arimathea — the latter a lovely face, — distinguished by their 
haloes, are letting down the sacred body from the Cross, 
which St. John and another believer receive below. To the 
extreme R is a group of minor disciples, one of whom (dis- 
tinguished by rays, but I cannot identify him) exhibits the 
Crown of Thorns and the three nails to the others. The 
figure in red in the foreground is possibly intended for St. 
Longinus. Above, in the arches, are sympathising angels. 
This is a glorious work, full of profound feeling. The 
towers and wall of the city, recalling those of Florence, 
should also be noticed. The trees and landscape are still 
purely conventional. 

On the frame, are figures of saints : L, St. Michael the 
Archangel, a glorious realisation ; St. Francis with the 
Stigmata ; St. Andrew ; and St. Bernardino of Siena ; 
R, St. Peter with the keys ; St. Peter Martyr with his 
wounded head ; St. Paul with the sword (observe the type) ; 
and a bearded St. Dominic, with his red star and lily. In 
the gable ends or cuspidi are three saints by Don Lorenzo 
Monaco, who can usually be recognised by the extreme 
length and curious bend of his figures. (See him better at 
the Uffizi.) L, Christ and the Magdalen in the garden ; 
centre, the Resurrection ; R, the three Maries at the tomb. 
Compare with the Annunciation just to the right on the wall, 
by the same painter. 

Now begin at the L wall by the door. These pictures 
represent the earliest art of Tuscany, and are mostly 
altar-pieces. 

High up, a curious "Byzantine" (say rather, barbaric) 
figure of St. Mary Magdalen, as the Penitent in Provence 
(see Mrs. Jameson). As always in this subject, she is clad 
entirely in her own hair, which the modesty of the early 
Christian artist has represented as covering her from head 
to foot like a robe. It is here rather red than golden. She 
holds a scroll with the rhyming Latin inscription, — 

Ne desperetis, vos qui peccare soletis, 
Exemploque meo vos reparate Deo: 



V.] THE BELLE ART I 1 09 

that is to say : " Despair not ye who are wont to sin, and by 
my example make your peace with God." At its sides are 
eight small stories from the Life of the Saint, biblical and 
legendary. Beginning at the top, L, the Magdalen washing 
the feet of Christ ; the canopy represents a house ; the 
tower shows that it takes place in a city ; R, the Resurrec- 
tion of Lazarus, represented (as in all early pictures) as a 
mummy ; note the tower, and the bystanders holding their 
noses. Second tier : L, Christ and the Magdalen in the 
garden ; R, she goes to Marseilles, with Martha and St. 
Maximin, and converts the people of that city, which ob- 
serve in the background. Third tier: L, she takes refuge 
as a Penitent, now clad only in her luxuriant hair, in the 
Sainte Baume (a holy cave in Provence), where she is daily 
raised to see the Beatific Vision by four angels. (Look out 
for later representations of this subject, often improperly 
described as the Assumption of the Magdalen.) R, the 
Magdalen, at the mouth of the cave, has the holy wafer 
brought her by an angel. Fourth tier : L, St. Maximin, 
warned by an angel that the Magdalen is dying, brings 
her the Holy Sacrament to her cave ; R, he buries the 
Magdalen at Marseilles ; canopy and tower again repre- 
senting church and city. 

Beneath this, 100, similar early figure of St. John in the 
desert, with his own head in a charger before him : ill 
described as Byzantine. 

101. Curious barbaric picture of Madonna and Saints, 
with scenes from the life of Christ : brought from the 
Franciscan convent of Santa Chiara at Lucca. The saints 
can be sufficiently identified by their inscriptions. Compare 
the quaint St. Michael with Fra Angelico's, and the St. 
Anthony and St. Francis with those later types with which 
we are already familiar. Never forget that these rude early 
works form the basis of all later representations. Notice 
Santa Chiara, to whom the work is dedicated (see Baedeker, 
Assisi). 

102. Cimabue, Madonna and angels, resembling the 
picture in Santa Maria Novella, but with a considerable 



110 FLORENCE [v. 

variation in the angelic figures, here rather less successful. 
It is, I think, an earlier picture. Beneath it, four prophets 
in an arcade, holding scrolls with inscriptions from their 
own writings, interpreted by mediaeval theologians as 
prophecies of the Holy Virgin. 

Next it, 103. A similar altar-piece by Giotto, with same 
central subject, where the difference of treatment and the 
advance in art made by the great painter are tolerably con- 
spicuous. At the same time, Giotto is never by any means 
so interesting or free in altar-pieces as in fresco. The best 
figures here are the angels in the foreground. The details 
of both these pictures deserve attentive study and comparison. 

Then, 116, Taddeo Gaddi, The Entombment, with the 
risen Christ in a mandorla above, and angels exhibiting the 
instruments of the Passion. The attendant St. John and 
other figures in this fine work should be compared with the 
corresponding personages in Fra Angelico's Descent from 
the Cross. They serve to show how much the Friar of San 
Marco borrowed from his predecessors, and how far he 
transformed the conceptions he took from them. This is 
one of the best altar-pieces of the school of Giotto. Do not 
hurry away from it. The OSM stands for Or San Michele, 
from which church the picture comes. 

127. Agnolo Gaddi, Madonna and Child, with six Floren- 
tine saints. Note the dates and succession in time of all 
these painters. Compare the central panel with the Giotto 
close by to show its ancestry. The other saints are St. 
Pancratius (from whose church and high altar it comes) ; 
St. Nereus ; and St. John the Evangelist : St. John the 
Baptist ; St. Achileus ; and Santa Reparata of Florence. 
For these very old Roman saints, little known in Florence 
save at this ancient church, consult Mrs. Jameson. Omit 
the predella for the moment. 

Beneath these pictures are a set of panels, attributed to 
Giotto, and representing scenes in the Life of Christ. They 
originally formed part of a chest or cupboard in the Sacristy 
of the church of Santa Croce in Florence, as the very similar 
series by Duccio still do at Siena (if you go to Siena, you 



V.] THE BELLE ARTI III 

should compare the two). Though not important works, 
they deserve study from the point of view of development. 
Note, for example, in the first of the series, the Visitation, 
the relative positions of the Madonna and St. Elizabeth, and 
the arch in the background — an accessory which afterwards 
becomes of such importance in the Pacchiarotto in an 
adjacent room, and in the Mariotto Albertinelli in the Uffizi. 
Observe, similarly, the quaint Giottesque shepherds in the 
second of the series : their head-dress is characteristic : you 
will meet it in many Giottos. The Magi, with their one 
horse each, may be well compared with the accession of 
wealth in Gentile del Fabriano ; while the position of the 
elder king and the crown of the second are worth notice for 
comparison. Observe how almost invariably the eldest 
king has removed his crown and presented his gift at the 
moment of the action. Earlier works are always simpler in 
their motives : never forget this principle. Not less charac- 
teristic is the Presentation in the Temple, with fire in the 
altar, where the figures of St. Joseph, R, and St. Simeon, L, 
are extremely typical. The Baptism has the unusual feature 
of the Baptist and the angels on the same bank, while a 
second figure waits beyond with the towel. The Trans- 
figuration prepares you for Fra Angelico's in St. Marco. 
The Last Supper, with Judas leaving the table, is an in- 
teresting variant. The Resurrection shows most of the 
conventional features. The Doubting Thomas also sheds 
light on subsequent treatments. 

Compare these works with those in the predella of the 
Agnolo Gaddi, where the story of Joachim and Anna, with 
which you are now, I hope, familiar, is similarly related. 
Joachim expelled from the Temple, with the angel an- 
nouncing to him the future birth of the Virgin, ought by this 
time to be a transparent scene. In the Meeting at the 
Golden Gate you will recognise the angel who brings to- 
gether the heads of wife and husband, as in the lunette at 
Santa Maria Novella. The Birth of the Virgin has, in a 
very simple form, all the characteristic elements of this 
picture. So has the Presentation in the Temple, with its 



112 FLORENCE [v. 

flight of steps and its symbolical building. Most interesting 
of all is the Annunciation, which should be closely com- 
pared with similar representations. 

Beneath this Agnolo Gaddi, again, are a small series, also 
attributed to Giotto, of the Life of St. Francis. The scenes 
are the conventional ones : compare with Santa Croce : St. 
Francis divesting himself of his clothes and worldly goods 
to become the spouse of poverty : St. Peter shows Innocent 
III. in a dream the falling church (St. John Lateran at Rome) 
sustained by St. Francis : The Confirmation of the Rules of 
the Order. St. Francis appears in a chariot of fire (121). 
He descends to be present at the martyrdom of Franciscan 
brothers at Ceuta, etc. The scene of St Francis receiving 
the Stigmata is closely similar (with its six-winged seraph 
and its two little churches) to the great altar-piece from San 
Francesco at Pisa, now preserved in the Louvre. Note its 
arrangement. Next it, L, St. Francis appearing at Aries 
while St. Anthony of Padua is preaching, recalls the fresco 
in Santa Croce. Indeed, all the members of this little series 
may be very well collated with the frescoes of similar scenes 
in the Bardi Chapel. (Go also to Santa Trinita for the 
Ghirlandajos.) 

End wall, 129, altar-piece of the Coronation of the Virgin, 
with attendant saints. All are named on the frame : so are 
the painters. Observe the saints and their symbols — especi- 
ally Santa Felicita, for whose convent it was painted. Notice 
also the usual group of angels playing musical instruments, 
who develop later into such beautiful accessories. It may 
be worth while to note that these early altar-pieces give 
types for the faces of the apostles and saints which can after- 
wards be employed to elucidate works of the Renaissance, 
especially Last Suppers. Left panel, Spinello : centre, 
Lorenzo : right, Niccol6. 

R of the door, two stories from the Life of St. Nicolas of 
Bari. In the upper one, he appears in the sky to resuscitate 
a dead child, where the double figure, dead and living, is 
characteristic. For the legends in full you must see Mrs. 
Jameson. 



V.] THE BELLE ART I 113 

134. Ambrogio Lorenzetti (one of the best of the early 
School of Siena), the Presentation in the Temple. Note 
the positions of St. John and the Madonna, St. Simeon and 
St. Anne, whose names are legibly inscribed on their haloes. 
Observe also the architecture of the temple, and note that in 
early pictures churches and other buildings are represented 
as interiors by the simple device of removing one side, 
exactly as in a doll's house. 

All the early altar-pieces on this wall deserve attention. 
Do not omit St. Nicolas of Bari throwing the three purses 
as a dowry into the window of the poor nobleman with three 
starving daughters. One is already thrown and being pre- 
sented : the saint is holding the other two. St. Nicolas 
was the patron saint of pawnbrokers (they " freely lend to 
all the poor who leave a pledge behind "), hence his three 
golden balls are the badge of that trade. 

137. The Annunciation, with saints, among whom St. 
John of Florence and St. Dominic are conspicuous. All are 
named on the frame, and should be separately identified. 
The wall behind the Madonna and angel, the curtain, and 
the bedroom in the background, are all conventional. Notice 
the frequent peacocks' wings given to Gabriel. Observe, in 
the predella, Pope Gregory the Great, with the dove whis- 
pering at his ear as always. I do not particularise in these 
altar-pieces, because, as a rule, the names of the saints are 
marked, and all you require is the time to study them. The 
longer you look, the better will you understand Italian art 
in general. 

The next picture, 139, shows itself doubly to be a Fran- 
ciscan and a Florentine picture. It has the Medici saint, St. 
Lawrence, beside the Florentine St. John Baptist ; while on 
the other side stand St. Francis and St. Stephen, the latter, 
as often, with the stones of his martyrdom on his head, and 
in the rich dress of a deacon. The donor was probably a 
Catherine, because (though it was painted for a Franciscan 
convent of Santa Chiara, as the inscription states) at the 
Madonna's side stand St. Catherine of Siena, the Domini- 
can nun, and St. Catherine of Alexandria, the princess, with 

H 



114 FLORENCE [v. 

her wheel. In the predella, observe the Adoration of the 
Magi, where attitudes, camels, and other details, lead up in 
many ways to later treatments. 

140 is a characteristic Holy Trinity, with St. Romuald 
the Abbot and St. Andrew the Apostle. The chief subject 
of the predella is the Temptation of St. Anthony. In another 
predella, below it, notice the Presentation of the Virgin in 
the Temple and the Marriage of the Virgin, all the elements 
in which should be closely compared with the frescoes at 
Santa Croce. 

143 is an Annunciation, by Don Lorenzo Monaco, where 
the floating angel, just alighting on his errand, and the 
shrinking Madonna, represent an alternative treatment of 
the subject from that in Neri di Bicci. Look out in future 
for these floating Gabriels. Note that while no marked 
division here exists between Gabriel and Our Lady, the two 
figures are yet isolated in separate compartments of the 
tabernacle. The saints are named. St. Proculus shows 
this work to have been probably painted for a citizen of 
Bologna, of which town he is patron, though it comes here 
direct from the Badia in Florence. 

147 introduces us to a different world. It was usual in 
mediaeval Florence to give a bride a chest to hold her 
trousseau, and the fronts of such chests- were often painted. 
This example represents a marriage between the Adimari 
and Ricasoli families, and is interesting from the point of 
view of costume and fashion. The loggia is tha of the 
Adimari family. 

The Neri di Bicci, 148, uninteresting as art, has curious 
types of St. Mary Magdalen, St. Margaret, St. Agnes, and 
St. Catherine, each with her symbol. These insipid saints 
have little but their symbolical significance to recommend 
them ; yet they deserve attention as leading up to later 
representations. 

On the window wall, notice 155, a picture which seems 
to lead up to or reflect the manner of Botticelli. 

Near the door, 164, Luca Signorelli. Not a pleasing 
example of the great master. The Archangel St. Michael, 



V.] THE BELLE ARTI 115 

weighing souls, and Gabriel bearing the lily of the Annunci- 
ation, are the best elements. The Child is also well painted, 
and the faces of St. Ambrose and St. Athanasius below are 
full of character. 

The next room, the 

Sala Seconda, 
is chiefly interesting as containing, on an easel in the 
centre, **Ghirlandajo's magnificent Adoration of the Shep- 
herds. In its wealth of detail and allusiveness, its classical 
touches and architecture, its triumphal arch, its sarcophagus, 
etc., this is a typical Renaissance work. As commonly 
happens with Ghirlandajo, the shepherds are clearly por- 
traits, and admirable portraits, of contemporary Florentines. 
Notice the beautiful iris on the R, representing the Floren- 
tine lily. Also the goldfinch, close to the Divine Child, and 
Joseph's saddle to the L. The distance represents the 
Approach of the Magi, and may be well compared with the 
Gentile da Fabriano. Note how the oriental character of 
the head-dress survives. The landscape, though a little 
hard, is fine and realistic. The contrast between the ruined 
temple and the rough shed built over it is very graphic. 
Not a detail of the technique should be left unnoticed. 
Observe, for example, the exquisite painting of the kneeling 
shepherd's woollen cap, and the straws and thatch through- 
out the picture. The Madonna is characteristic of the 
Florentine ideal of Ghirlandajo's period. The ox and ass, 
on the other hand, are a little unworthy of so great an 
artist. 

On the walls of this room are pictures, mostly of second- 
ary interest, belonging to the age of the High Renaissance. 
R of the door are a series of good heads by Fra Bartolom- 
meo, the best of which is that of St. Dominic, with his 
finger to his lips, to enforce the Dominican rule of silence. 

Above them, a fine Madonna and Child by Mariotto 
Albertinelli, where the figures of St. Dominic with his lily, 
St. Nicolas of Bari with his three golden balls, and the 
ascetic St. Jerome with his cardinal's hat and lion, will now 
be familiar. But the finest figure is that with a sword, to 



Il6 FLORENCE [y. 

the L, representing St. Julian, the patron saint of Rimini. 
The fly-away little angels and the unhappy canopy fore- 
shadow the decadence. 

Better far is Mariotto's Annunciation, adjacent, where the 
addition of the heavenly choir above is a novel feature. 
The shrinking position of the Madonna may well be com- 
pared with the earlier specimens, and with the beautiful 
Andrea del Sarto in the Uffizi. 

Beyond, 171 and 173, two Madonnas by Fra Bartolom- 
meo, which may be taken as typical specimens of his style 
in fresco. Compare with the heads to the L in order to 
form your conception of this great but ill-advised painter, 
who led the way to so much of the decadence. 

Between them, 172, also by Fra Bartolommeo : Savona- 
rola in the character of St. Peter Martyr, a forcible but 
singularly unpleasant portrait. 

Above it, 170, Fra Paolino, Madonna and Child with 
saints. Interesting as showing the grouping that came in 
with the High Renaissance, and the transformation effected 
in the character of the symbols. These canopied thrones 
belong to the age of Fra Bartolommeo. The Magdalen 
can only be known by her box of ointment. St. Catherine 
of Siena, to whom the infant Christ extends a hand, seems 
to be painted just for the sake of her drapery. St. Dominic 
with his lily becomes an insipid monk, and even the ascetic 
face of St. Bernardino of Siena almost loses its distinctive 
beauty. The attitude of St. Antony of Padua, pointing 
with his hand in order to call St. Catherine's attention to 
what is happening, as though she were likely to overlook it, 
is in the vilest taste. Altogether, a sad falling off from the 
purity and spirituality of the three great rooms of Botticelli 
and Perugino. This picture comes from the convent of 
Santa Caterina in Florence. 

174, The Madonna letting drop the Sacra Cintola to St. 
Thomas, is a far more pleasing specimen of Fra Paolino. 
The kneeling Thomas has dignity and beauty, and is not 
entireiy painted for the sake of his feet. St. Francis is a 
sufficiently commonplace monk, but St. John the Baptist 



V] THE BELLE ARTI 117 

has not wholly lost his earlier beauty. The tomb full of 
lilies is pleasingly rendered, and the figures of St. Elizabeth 
of Hungary (or is it St. Rose ?) and St. Ursula with her 
arrow behind have simplicity and dignity. This is of course 
a Franciscan picture : it comes from the convent of St. 
Ursula in Florence. The little frieze of saints by Michele 
Ghirlandajo, beneath it, is worthy of notice. The second 
of the series is Santa* Reparata. 

The other pictures in this room can, I think, be suffi- 
ciently interpreted by the reader in person. 

177, Sogliani, the angel Raphael, with Tobias and the 
fish. As the angel carries the sacred remedy, this was 
probably a blindness ex voto. To the left, St. Augustine. 

The Pieta, above, by Fra Bartolommeo and Fra Paolino, 
is noticeable for its Dominican saints. You will know them 
by this time. 

A second group of the Madonna letting drop her girdle 
to St. Thomas, by Sogliani, may be instructively compared 
with Fra Paolino. 

The late Renaissance pictures on the rest of the wall need 
little comment. The 

Sala Terza, 

contains works of the 16th and r/tfo centuries, mostly as 
unpleasant as theatrical gesture and false taste can make 
them. 

198, Alessandro Allori's Annunciation, while preserving 
many of the traditional features, is yet a noble and valuable 
monument of absolute vulgarity. The fly-away Gabriel, 
with coarsely painted lily, the cloud on which he rests in 
defiance of gravitation, the cherubs behind, the third-rate 
actress who represents Our Lady, the roses on the floor, 
and the attitudes of the hands in both the chief characters, 
are as vile as Allori could make them. But the crowning 
point of bad taste in this picture is surely the eldest of the 
boy-angels, just out of school, and apparently sprawling in 
ambush on a cloud to play some practical joke on an un- 
seen person. Comparison of this hateful Annunciation 
with the purity and simplicity of Fra Angelico's at San 



Il8 FLORENCE [v. 

Marco will give you a measure of the degradation of sacred 
art under the later Medici. 

203, Carlo Dolci's Eternal Father may be taken as in 
another way a splendid specimen of false sentiment and 
bad colouring. 

205, Cigoli's St. Francis, admirably illustrates the attempt 
on the part of an artist who does not feel to express feeling. 

Most of these pictures deserve some notice because, as 
foils to the earlier works, they excellently exhibit the chief 
faults to be avoided in painting. Sit in front of them, and 
then look through the open door at the great Ghirlandajo, 
if you wish to measure the distance that separates the 15th 
from the later 16th and 17th centuries. Cigoli's Martyrdom 
of Stephen, however, has rather more merit both in drawing 
and colouring : and one or two of the other pictures in the 
room just serve to redeem it from utter nothingness. Such 
as they are, the reader will now be able to understand them 
for himself without further description. 

Return through the Cupola and the first part of the 
Corridor to the room on the L, the 

Sala del Beato Angelico. 

This room contains numerous smaller w r orks of Fra 
Angelico and his contemporaries. 

L of the door, 227, Fra Angelico, Madonna and Child 
enthroned, under a niche, with Franciscan and Medici 
saints on either side. This, work is interesting for the 
transitional stage it shows in the development of these 
Madonna pictures. The saints are now grouped in a 
comparatively natural manner, but the arches behind them 
show reminiscences of the earlier tabernacle and altar-piece 
arrangement. L of the throne, on a raised marble dais, a 
step below the level of our Lady, stand the Medici saints, 
Cosmo and Damian, in their red deacons' robes, with their 
boxes of ointment and palms of martyrdom (note here as 
always that the most important saints for the purpose of the 
picture are to the Madonna's R, and the spectator's L). On 
the opposite side, balancing them, and equally raised on the 



V.] THE BELLE ARTI 119 

dais, are St. John the Evangelist and St. Lawrence with his 
deacon's robe and palm of martyrdom. Below, on the 
ground, stand the Dominican St. Peter Martyr, with his 
wounded head, and the Franciscan St. Francis, with the Stig- 
mata, in the robes of their orders. Observe that the later 
historical saints stand on a lower level than their legendary 
predecessors. The face and dress of the Madonna, the stiff 
draped Giottesque child, the star on Our Lady's shoulder, 
and many other accessories deserve close study. This 
picture is one which marks time in the progress of paint- 
ing. Compare the arrangement of saints here with the 
Giottesque altar-pieces just outside, and then with the quite 
naturalistic arrangements in the three rooms of the great 
15th century painters. 

L of these works begins a series by Fra Angelico of the 
Life of Christ, — small panel pictures (from the doors of a 
press in the Annunziata), some of them of comparatively 
little artistic merit, but all interesting from the point of view 
of development. (The first three, as they stand, do not 
seem to me to be Fra Angelico's at all.) Notice particularly 
the scene of the Baptism, for comparison with the Yerrocchio 
in an adjoining room. The position of the Baptist and the 
small symbolical Jordan are highly typical. Verses from 
the Vulgate beneath explain the subjects. Above are 
prophecies from the Old Testament, supposed to foreshadow 
the events here pictured. In 234, an Annunciation, with its 
loggia and garden background, is very noteworthy. Here, 
only a doorway separates the Madonna from the announcing 
angel. The Adoration of the Magi in the same set may be 
well compared with Gentile da Fabriano. The Massacre of 
the Innocents, on the other hand, shows Fra Angelico's 
marked inability to deal with dramatic action, and especially 
with scenes of cruelty. In the Sacred Wheel, in 235, 
observe the curious figures of the four Evangelists, at the 
cardinal points of the centre, each with human body, but 
with the head of his beast as a symbol. The whole of this 
mystic wheel, explained by its inscriptions, deserves close 
attention. The Circumcision and the ^Flight into Egypt 



120 FLORENCE [v. 

below are entirely conventional. Note the inefficient draw- 
ing of the ass. Compare the St. Joseph with that in the 
upper panel of 236, the Nativity, where the type of this saint 
continually repeated by Fra Angelico will become apparent. 
In 237, **Judas Receiving the Money is especially spirited : 
the dramatic element is rare in Fra Angelico. The Last 
Supper, close by, is noteworthy as a historical delineation, 
for comparison with the mystical one on the walls of San 
Marco. The scenes of the Buffeting and the Flagellation 
again exhibit Fra Angelico's limitations. I advise attentive 
study of all these little works, many of which are of high 
merit : make careful comparisons with the same subjects in 
the Giottos and elsewhere. 

243, also by Fra Angelico, contains a graphic account of 
the ** history of St. Cosmo and St. Damian, the holy phy- 
sicians who despised money, and who in the lower L hand 
compartment are represented as declining the heavy fees 
proffered by a wealthy woman. (Or rather, St. Cosmo 
refuses, and St. Damian accepts, because the lady asks him 
to take it in the name of the Lord.) The other subjects 
relate the trial of the two saints, with their three younger 
brethren, and the attempts successively made to drown them, 
from which death they are saved by angels ; to burn them 
alive, when the flames seize upon their persecutors ; to 
crucify and stone them, when the stones recoil on the heads 
of the senders and the arrows bend round to strike the 
assailants ; and finally the last successful effort to behead 
them — a punishment which no saint except St. Denis ever 
survives. This is a very miraculous story, delineated with 
perfect faith and naivete, in a series of exquisite miniatures*, 
far superior in execution to the Life of Christ. They formed 
a gradino at the Annunziata. Observe the complete medi- 
aevalism of the details, untouched as yet by the slightest 
Renaissance tendency. The Roman official who condemns 
them is dressed like a Florentine gentleman of the period ; 
there is no archaeology. 

Above, 241 and 242, two good portraits of Vallombrosan 
monks by Perugino, who was largely employed in commis- 



V.] THE BELLE ART I 121 

sions for that monastery, and who painted for it his magnifi- 
cent Assumption. The figures are those of the General of 
the Order, and of the Abbot of the monastery ; and they 
stood originally at the side of the Assumption, looking up at 
the Virgin — whence their attitudes. 

Still higher, Madonna and Child, by Fra Angelico, 
exhibiting advance in freedom of treatment over the more 
Giottesque model in 227. Compare these carefully. 

249, etc., other little panels by Fra Angelico, containing 
a Pieta, Adoration of the Magi, etc., with scenes in the 
background. 

Beyond these, L, continuation of the Life of Christ. In 
the Raising of Lazarus, note the curious swathing of the 
mummy-like figure, which earlier still was represented as an 
actual mummy. The Entry into Jerusalem contains some 
excellent characters. The Washing of the Apostles' feet 
betrays Fra Angelico's lack of accurate knowledge in per- 
spective and foreshortening. The Last Supper has points 
of resemblance with the mystic treatment in San Marco. 
In Christ before Pilate, notice once more the pure medi- 
evalism of the treatment, as contrasted with such Roman 
and antiquarian touches as are given to similar scenes by 
Ghirlandajo and Filippino Lippi. The Jewish faces of the 
priests are admirably rendered. The Betrayal of Christ 
has the usual episode of Peter cutting off the ear of 
Malchus. 

In the next group, 253, note the scorpion tabards of the 
soldiers on the Way to Calvary, and the parting of the 
raiment. Beneath it, Christ in Limbo delivers Adam and 
Eve and the holy dead, among whom King David is con- 
spicuous. Observe the red cross of the banner, universal in 
this subject, the usual demon crushed under the gate, and 
the others baffled in the L background. The Last Judgment 
beneath it, is interesting for comparison with the larger 
tabernacle on the end wall of this room. Observe the 
attitude of Christ, displaying His wounded hands in mercy, 
as in most representations of this subject, from the frescoes 
in the Campo Santo at Pisa onward. (Compare the fine 



122 FLORENCE [v. 

Fra Bartolommeo and Mariotto Albertinelli in the Hospital 
of Santa Maria Nuova. A study of this subject, beginning 
at Pisa, and culminating in the Sistine Chapel, is most 
interesting.) Note the Madonna, apostles, and patriarchs, 
surrounding the Christ, and the sweet little angels below 
embracing the just, among whom a Dominican figure is 
conspicuous. The damned, to the L of the Saviour, display 
Fra Angelico's usual inability to deal with what is not 
ecstatic and beautiful. 

The last set of the series, containing the Passion, Ascen- 
sion, etc., is interesting (amongst other things) for its 
Descent of the Holy Ghost, with the various nations below 
hearing the apostles speak with tongues, which may be well 
compared with the fresco in the Spanish Chapel. Not one 
of these little scenes is without interest from the point of 
view of comparative treatment with others elsewhere. Go 
through them carefully, and note the prophetic verses. 

On the same wall, 247, the Dominican painter has also 
represented the School of the great Dominican teacher, 
St. Thomas Aquinas, with the three discomfited heretics 
(Averrhoes, Sabellius, Guillaume de St. Amour) at his feet 
as usual. Compare the Benozzo Gozzoli in the Louvre. 

Above this, 246, a fine Deposition, with a few adoring 
saints who do not belong to the subject. Amongst them, to 
the L, is conspicuous St. Dominic. This picture belonged 
to a religious body which accompanied condemned criminals 
to the scaffold. 

End wall, 257, two stories from the lives of St. Cosmo and 
St. Damian, by Fra Angelico. They fix the leg of a dead 
Moor to a sick white man, on whom they have practised 
amputation. Below, their burial with their three brethren : 
in the background, a somewhat imaginative camel, denoting 
foreignness and orientalism. 

The dainty little Annunciation by Ghirlandajo, above, 
should be noticed. 

260. Simone Bolognese, an extremely rude but interesting 
picture of the Nativity, where the star, the attitude of the 
ass, the shepherd hearing the angels, and the very unreal 



V.] THE BELLE ARTI 123 

sheep in the foreground should all be noted. The wattles 
and saddle are characteristic of the subject. 

Above it, a charming early Tabernacle, 259, 14th century, 
with the Madonna and Child, which may be well compared 
both with Giotto and Fra Angelico. On the wings above, 
an Annunciation, with the Madonna and angel separated as 
usual : notice this arrangement, which often recurs. Beneath 
is a Crucifixion ; with St. John Baptist, St. Catherine and 
other saints. This is one of the most beautiful tabernacles 
of its period : its fine work should be observed. 

266. *Fra Angelico's celebrated Last Judgment, a picture 
which may be well compared with the Orcagna in Santa 
Maria. In the centre, above, Christ in a mandorla, sur- 
rounded by adoring angels whose symbolical colours and 
various hierarchies you will find explained by Mrs. Jameson. 
Beneath, the angels of the last trump. R and L of the 
Saviour, the Madonna and St. John Baptist. Then, the 
apostles and patriarchs, with their symbols, among whom 
may be noted also St. Dominic on the extreme L and St. 
Francis on the extreme R, with other monastic founders, 
especially of Florentine or neighbouring bodies, (Vallom- 
brosans, Camaldolesi.) The terrestrial scene has for its 
centre a vault or cemetery, with open empty tombs from 
which the dead have risen. (See also at Pisa.) To the L 
(the Saviour's R as usual) are the blessed risen, welcomed and 
embraced by charming little angels, who lead them onward 
as in a mazy dance to the Heavenly City. The robes and 
orders of the monks should be observed, as also the various 
grades of popes, bishops, and other ecclesiastical functionaries. 
Note that this is essentially a representative assemblage of 
the Church Triumphant, in which, it must be admitted, the 
lay element figures but sparingly. To the R, the damned 
are being hurried away to hell by demons. Among them 
are not only the great and mighty of the earth, — kings, 
queens, etc., — but also false monks who loved money better 
than their profession, as typified by the bag round the neck 
of one in the foreground. Every one of these lost souls also 
is representative. Note the bats' faces and wings of the 



124 FLORENCE [v. 

demons. To the extreme R is Hell, divided into the usual 
mediaeval regions, and best explained by reference to Dante. 
(See also the Orcagna at Santa Maria Novella.) The 
personal devil devouring souls below recalls the figure in the 
Campo Santo at Pisa. Do not overlook the jaws of Death. 

Every detail of this interesting picture should be noted 
and carefully studied. Nothing can be lovelier than the 
scene of angelic peace on the R ; few things uglier than the 
opposite torments, attributed, as usual, to another hand. 
The picture comes from the monastery degli Angeli in 
Florence, whence the large and charming part assigned in it 
to angels. 

Above it, 265, Madonna and Child with saints, by Fra 
Angelico. Compare the cupola and niches, from the point 
of view of evolution, with those of the large picture almost 
opposite. To the L, a group of Franciscan saints, Antony 
of Padua, Louis of Toulouse, and Francis : (it comes from a 
Franciscan retreat at Mugello.) To the R, the Medici 
saints, Cosmo and Damian, and St. Peter Martyr. The 
child is here nude, a rare case with Fra Angelico. Note 
always this point, and observe its early occurrences. 

Close by, 268 and 269. Two little panels of the 16th 
century, interesting for their treatment of the Annunciation, 
and St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Dominic. 

L wall, 272, an interesting St. Elizabeth of Hungary, 
sheltering under her mantle her votaries. The arrangement 
of the mantle and the angels who sustain it should be noted 
as characteristic of similar subjects, common elsewhere. 

By the window wall, several early panel pieces, the most 
interesting of which is 277, with St. Francis receiving the 
Stigmata, where the seraph, saint, Brother Leo, and attend- 
ant buildings, are all characteristic. Compare the Giotto 
in another room in this building. The St. Paul on the way 
to Damascus is a less usual subject, interestingly treated. 
Note that the sword has not been forgotten. 

277. Another St. Francis receiving the Stigmata, closely 
resembling the picture in the Louvre of the same subject. 
Compare all the examples of this theme in the present 



V.l THE BELLE ART I 1 25 

gallery, noting the position of the Seraph-winged Christ, the 
buildings, etc. 

281. Fra Angelico, another Madonna and Child, with 
characteristic angels. In the foreground, with its singular 
early Romanesque mosaic, (which should be carefully noted,) 
the Medici saints kneeling. To the R, the two great 
Dominicans, St. Dominic and Peter Martyr, with St. 
Francis. To the L St. Lawrence, St. John Baptist, St. 
Stephen. 

This is a fine altar-piece, though greatly damaged. Note 
always whether the Christ holds a globe, a goldfinch, or a 
pomegranate. 

In the next window, a series of stories by Granacci, 
sufficiently described by their labels, but worthy of all 
attention. 

On the easel 263, Filippo Lippi, the Annunciation 
(curiously divided,) and St. John Baptist of Florence. This 
is a single shutter, with the other half in 264, where St. 
Antony balances the Baptist. 

291. A Trinity of the 15th cent. Notice, in the predella, 
the arrangement of the arcade in the Annunciation, with the 
garden in the background. R and L, angelic subjects ; St. 
Michael and the Dragon, St. Raphael and Tobias. The 
delicious naivete of the last is worthy of attention. 

It is impossible to enter in detail into all the works in this 
small room, with its rich collection of early panel pictures. 
The visitor should return to them again and again, spelling 
out their further meaning for himself by the light of the 
hints here given, or the official catalogue. But the more you 
make out for yourself, the better. Remember that every 
figure is identifiable, and that each in every case has then 
and there its special meaning. Fully to understand these, 
you should afterwards consult either the catalogue, or, still 
better, the description of the principal pictures in Lafenestre's 
Florence. Also, I cannot too strongly recommend that you 
should go from one picture of a subject to another of the 
same in this collection, observing the chronology of the 
works, and the evidences which they show of progress in 



126 FLORENCE [v. 

art-evolution. As a single example of what I mean, take 
the Annunciations in this Gallery, and follow them out care- 
fully. Or again, look at the group of saints on either side 
of the Saviour in 266. Note here on the L the white starry 
robe of the Madonna, as Queen of Heaven. Next her, St. 
Peter with his conventional features, and his two keys of 
gold and iron. Then, beside him, Moses, distinguishable by 
his horns of light and by the Hebrew inscription on the 
tablets he carries. In the opposite group, observe similarly, 
in the place of honour, St. Paul with his sword, close beside 
the Baptist, behind whom stands St. Agnes with her lamb, 
and next to her, King David. Above St. Dominic, once 
more, to the extreme L of the group, the dove whispering at 
his ear marks the figure of St. Gregory ; close by whom the 
deacon with the palm of martyrdom and the bleeding head 
is seen to be St. Stephen. I will not go through the whole 
of this interesting group, but attentive study of the symbols 
will enable you to identify every one of them. Do not be 
satisfied with your study of the picture until you are sure 
that you have understood all its details. If it was worth 
Fra Angelico's while to discriminate them by signs, it is 
surely worth your while to spend a few seconds each over 
them. A useful little book for identifying saints, which also 
gives you an account of the robes of the various monastic 
orders, is Miss Greene's Saints and their Symbols. You can 
get it at any bookseller's in Florence. You cannot do better 
than test this picture by the light so thrown upon it. 

Again, in 254, the Entombment, notice the positions of 
the Crown of Thorns and the nails in the foreground, upon 
which equal stress is laid in the great Descent from the 
Cross by the same painter, which stands on the easel beside 
Gentile del Fabriano's Adoration of the Magi. Recollect in 
this connection the importance given to these relics from the 
13th century onward, by their purchase from the Emperor of 
the East by St. Louis of France, who had erected the Sainte 
Chapelle on purpose to contain them. The legend of their 
preservation had therefore great prominence in the 13th, 
14th, and early 15th cents., and it was important that illus- 



V.] THE BELLE ART I 1 27 

trations of the subject should contain some reference to the 
mode in which these much-revered relics were saved for the 
adoration of posterity. I offer this hint merely to show 
the way in which legend and doctrine reacted upon art 
in the Middle Ages. Look similarly for the nails in the 
Descent from the Cross by Filippino Lippi and Perugino in 
the 2nd Botticelli Room, and in Botticelli's Madonna, 88, 
in the same room, where an angel holds them as well as the 
Crown of Thorns. You will find in like manner that the 
series of the Life of Christ by Fra Angelico in this room has 
in each case above the picture a prophecy from the Old 
Testament, and below, a verse supposed to be its fulfilment 
from the New. The more you observe these facts for your- 
self, the better will you understand both the details intro- 
duced into the pictures themselves and the reason for their 
selection. Mediaeval art embodies a dogmatic theology 
and a theory of life and practice. It can never be fully com- 
prehended without some attention to these facts which 
condition it. 

Visit the Belle Arti often : it contains, on the whole, the 
finest pictures in Florence. When you have got beyond 
these notes, go on with Lafenestre ; or else buy the official 
catalogue, which is in very easy Italian ; it gives you always 
the original place for which the pictures were painted. Do 
not be satisfied till you understand them all. And compare, 
as you go, with the frescoes in churches and the works in the 
Ufnzi. The way to comprehend early art is by comparison. 



VI 

THE UFFIZI, ETC 

|"~ r 1 ^HE centre of modern Florence is occupied by the 
L X Piazza della Signoria, which contains the Palazzo 
Vecchio and the Loggia dei Lanzi. This square 
was once the Forum of the Republic, and round it revolved 
the political and social life of early Florence. 

In the 13th century the Bargello (to be visited later) was 
the seat of the Florentine Government. But in 1298, about 
the same time when Santa Croce and the Cathedral were 
rising above their foundations, the City began to feel the 
want of a second stronghold for its new democratic (or 
oligarchic) authorities, and of a fitting hall for its deliberative 
assemblies. In that year, therefore, the Signoria commis- 
sioned the great Arnolfo di Cambio, who was already engaged 
in building the Duomo, to begin the erection of a vast 
castle, now known as the Palazzo Vecchio. It was evi- 
dently based in idea upon the Palazzo Pubblico in the rival 
town of Siena, the foundations of which appear to have been 
laid some nine years earlier. The greater part of the build- 
ing as it now stands represents Arnolfo's original work, 
though the upper portion of the slender tower is of the 15th 
century, while the fagade towards the Via del Leone at the 
back was added by Vasari in 1540. The courtyard and 
porch have also suffered great alterations. 

The Palazzo Vecchio in its original form was strictly the 
Castle of the Guilds of Florence, which had imposed their 
rule in the 13th century over the whole city. It was, in 
short, the stronghold of the commercial oligarchy. The 
early government of Florence had been mainly aristocratic, 
and all its functions were performed by the nobles : but by 



VI.] THE UFFIZI, ETC 1 29 

1282 the Arts or Guilds, among which the Wool- Weavers 
and Silk- Workers were the most important members, had 
gained possession of the executive power, which they en- 
trusted to their own Priori or Guild- Masters. The body 
thus installed in the Palazzo Vecchio was known as the 
Signoria : it retained power in Florence until the gradual 
rise of the democratic despotism of the Medici, a wealthy 
commercial family who favoured the people, and finally 
made themselves in the 16th century Grand Dukes of Tus- 
cany. (See Villari.) The fortress-like appearance of the 
Palace is due to the fact that the commercial oligarchy had 
to hold its own by force within the city against the great 
nobles on the one hand, and popular rising on the other. 
All Florence, in fact, is clearly built with a constant eye to 
internal warfare. 

In 1376, the Piazza della Signoria was further decorated 
by the erection of the Loggia dei Lanzi, a magnificent 
vaulted arcade for the performance of public functions before 
the eyes of the citizens. This noble building was perhaps 
designed by Orcagna, but was certainly carried out by Benci 
di Cione and Simone di Francesco Talenti. It exhibits the 
same curious combination of round arches with Gothic detail 
which is also seen in the neighbouring church of Or San 
Michele — the chapel of the Guilds. The arcade was known 
at first as the Loggia de' Priori or della Signoria ; it gained 
its present name under Cosimo I., who stationed here his 
German lance-men. 

I do not advise a visit to the interior of the Palazzo 
Vecchio until after you have seen everything else of impor- 
tance in Florence, when Baedeker's account will be amply 
sufficient. But a cursory inspection of the exterior, and of 
the general features of the Piazza, is necessary to an under- 
standing of Florentine history. As you will already have 
seen in the picture at San Marco, Savonarola was burnt at 
the stake in this square, near the spot now occupied by the 
Fountain of Neptune]. 



130 FLORENCE [VI. 

i. The Signoria. 

Go along any street, as far as the Duomo : then, turn 
down the Via 'Calzaioli. On your R, as you turn the corner, 
is the beautiful little Loggia of the * Bigallo, probably 
designed by Oreagna, and built in 1352. Notice here the 
peculiar Florentine combination of round arches with Gothic 
architecture. The statues over the front, towards the Piazza, 
by Filippo di Cristoforo, represent a Madonna and Child, 
flanked by St. Dominic and St. Mary Magdalen. 

Continue down the Via Calzaioli till you come to the 
Piazza della Signoria. Observe the fagade of the Palazzo 
Vecchio. Then, enter the Outer Court, built by Michel- 
ozzo (whose hand you will now recognise) in the Renaissance 
style, in 1432. The elaborate decorations were added in 
1565 : though very florid, they have a certain picturesqueness 
which is not unpleasing. The centre is occupied by a 
charming little * fountain, by Verocchio, representing a 
Boy on a Dolphin. The surrounding Sculptures, as well 
as those at the door, are by inferior Renaissance artists, and 
quite uninteresting. So is Bartolommeo Ammanati's Great 
Fountain, in the square, with Neptune and Tritons. The 
equestrian * statue (in bronze) of Cosimo I., by Giovanni da 
Bologna, is scarcely more interesting. It has high technical 
merit, but lacks grace or beauty. 

(Michael Angelo's David stood till recently at the door oi 
the Palazzo Vecchio. So did the Marzocco, at present in the 
Bargello.) 

Now, turn to the Loggia dei Lanzi. Note the noble 
sweep of the large round arches, and the character of the 
decorations. Observe its resemblance (on a larger scale) to 
the Bigallo. The figures on the frieze above are after 
designs by Agnolo Gaddi, and are fine examples of the 
characteristic Gothic allegorical personages, with incipient 
Renaissance leanings. They represent Faith, Hope, Charity, 
Temperance, and Fortitude. Identify the symbols with an 
opera-glass. 

Of the pieces of Sculpture within the Loggia, by far the 
most important are the two bronzes 



VI.] THE UFFIZI, ETC 131 

The one facing the Piazza, to the L of the steps, is 
** Benvenuto Cellini's Perseus, — one of the most perfect 
works of its kind ever cast in metal. The lightness and 
delicacy of the workmanship, the airy coquettish grace of 
the young hero, as he holds aloft the head of the slaughtered 
Medusa, have never been equalled in their own peculiar 
bravura manner. The work, however, is rather that of a 
glorified artistic silversmith than of a sculptor properly so 
called. You can see in every line and limb that the effects 
aimed at, — and supremely attained, — are those of decorative 
metal-work, not those of greater bronzes and marbles. 
Cellini has here transcended the proper limits of his peculiar 
art ; and he has done so triumphantly. The result justifies 
him. Stand and look, long and often, at this perfect marvel 
of technical excellence. When you have exhausted the 
central figure, turn to the reliefs and statuettes at the 
base, also by Cellini. (The relief in front, * Perseus rescuing 
Andromeda, is a copy ; the original you will see when you visit 
the Bargello.) The * four admirable figures in the niches 
represent respectively, Jupiter (Zeus) the father of Perseus ; 
Danae, his mother ; Minerva (Athene) ; and Mercury 
(Hermes), both of whom befriended him. (Read up the 
story in a Classical Dictionary, if you do not already know 
it.) The Latin verses on the base are neat and appro- 
priate. 

The second bronze, round the corner towards the Ufiizi, 
is * Donatella's Judith, with the head of Holofernes, 
erected in front of the Palazzo Vecchio after the expulsion of 
the Medici. It bears the inscription, " Salutis Publicae 
Exemplum." The work, however, is heavy and confused, 
and shows that Donatello had not yet wholly mastered the 
art of modelling for bronze-casting. The reliefs below are 
better, especially that of* Cupid and Psyche. 

The other sculpture in the Loggia is of less importance. 
By the steps, two lions ; to the R, antique ; to the L, 
by Flaminio Vacca. Under the arch, R, marble group of 
the * Rape of the Sabines, by Giovanni da Bologna, with 
good * relief beneath it. Within, L, modern group of the 



132 FLORENCE [VI. 

Rape of Polyxena, by Fedi, not wholly unworthy of the 
company in which it finds itself. Centre, the * Dying Ajax 
(or perhaps, Menelaus with the body of Patroclus) a good 
antique, probably a Greek original : another example of the 
same exists at Rome, where it is known as Pasquino. This 
replica has been greatly restored. R, Hercules slaying the 
Centaur Nessus, by Giovanni da Bologna : frigid. By the 
back wall, five antique portrait-statues of Vestals or 
Priestesses : together with a * heroic barbarian female 
figure, known as the Thusnelda (3rd on the l), and remark- 
able for its powerful expression of grief on a fine half-savage 
countenance. 

2. The Uffizi. 

In visiting the Uffizi, you proceed round the corner from 
the Loggia dei Lanzi, and enter a spacious quadrangle, a 
narrow oblong in shape, and open at the side towards the 
Palazzo Vecchio. The Palazzo degli Uffizi, which girdles 
this quadrangle, was erected as public offices (whence the 
name) by Vasari, in 1 560, and completed by Alfonso Parigi, 
in 1580. Round the lower floor runs a continuous arcade, 
the Portico degli Uffizi, the niches of which, after remaining 
long empty, have been adorned in our own time with a 
series of marble statues of distinguished Tuscans, all named 
below, which it is well -worth while some day to go round and 
inspect or identify. The building contains, in its lower 
portion, the Post Office, the Central Archives of Tuscany, 
and the National Library ; but of course to the visitor its 
chief importance is derived from the Picture Gallery and 
Sculpture on the Upper Floor. 

[The Collections in the Uffizi are, on the whole, the most 
important and valuable in Florence. In painting, it is true, 
the Gallery contains fewer fine works of the great Early 
Renaissance artists than does the Belle Arti ; but on the 
other hand, it is rich in paintings by Raphael, it has some 
noble designs by Leonardo and Fra Bartolommeo, and it 
represents more fully than the rival gallery the pictorial art 



VI.] THE UFFIZI, ETC 133 

of the High Renaissance. Moreover, it is not confine . to 
Tuscan and Umbrian works (to which nevertheless I advise 
you in Florence mainly to address yourself) but has some 
admirable North Italian and Venetian specimens, by Man- 
tegna, Titian, Giorgione, and others. Outside Italy alto- 
gether, it also embraces some noble Flemish, German, and 
Dutch works, which it will be impossible for you to pass by 
wholly unnoticed. Then, finally, it has in addition its col- 
lection of Sculpture, including several famous works, once 
unduly over-praised, as well as many antiques, less cele- 
brated in their way, but often more deserving of serious 
attention. I have endeavoured to note in passing the most 
important of all these various treasures, giving most atten- 
tion, it is true, to Tuscan and Umbrian handicraft, but not 
neglecting the products of other schools, nor the antique 
sculpture. 

As everywhere, my aim here has been purely explanatory. 
If at times I have diverged into an occasional expression of 
aesthetic approbation or the opposite, I hope the reader will 
bear in mind that I never pretend to do so with authority, 
and that my likes and dislikes are merely those of the 
average man, not of the professed critic. 

Do not attempt to see all the Uffrzi at one visit, or even 
any large part of it. Begin with a little bit, and examine 
that thoroughly. Do not try to combine the paintings and 
sculpture in any one room ; observe them separately on 
different occasions. Follow for each class the general order 
here given ; you will then find the subject unfold itself 
naturally. Study Baedeker's excellent Plan of the rooms 
before you go in. Recollect that the Galleries extend, in 
three arms, right round the top floor of the entire building, 
as seen from outside ; this will help you to understand 
the ground-plan of the rooms, as well as the charming 
glimpses and views from the windows. 

A passage, built quaintly over houses and shops, and 
distinguishable outside, crosses the Ponte Vecchio from the 
Umzi to the Pitti. It was designed by the Medici as a 
means of intercommunication, and also as a place of possible 



134 FLORENCE [vi. 

escape in case of risings or other danger. You can cross 
by means of it from one Gallery to the other ; but you must 
pay an extra franc for entrance in the middle.] 

A. Paintings. 

Approach from the Piazza della Signoria. The entrance 
is by the second door under the portico on the left hand side 
of the Uffizi Palace. Umbrellas and sticks are left below ; 
tickets (one franc each, free on Sundays) are taken half-way 
up the stairs, which are numerous and tedious. (Lift, 50 c. 
each person.) Admission daily, from 10 to 4. (The statues 
and busts on the Staircase and in the Vestibule, etc., will be 
treated separately, with the other sculptures.) 

The Long Gallery, which we first enter, contains for the 
most part early works in painting, many of which are of 
comparatively slight artistic importance. I advise you to 
begin with the paintings alone, not attempting to combine 
them with the sculpture in the same day. Turn to the R on 
entering the gallery, and start at the end of the room with 
the oldest pictures. 

1 is a Graeco-Byzantine Madonna, (10th cent.) interesting 
as representative of the starting-point of Italian art. It 
should be compared with 2, an Italian picture aiming at the 
same style, (12th cent.) which again leads up (at a distance) 
to the Cimabue in Santa Maria Novella. Observe the superior 
technique of the Byzantine. These early Madonnas deserve 
close attention. 

3 is a Crucifix, where the position of the Madonna and St. 
John on the ends of the arms is highly characteristic : the 
type survives till quite a late period. By its sides are small 
scenes from the Passion, the types in which should be care- 
fully noted. The face of the St. Peter, for example, in the 
upper L compartment, already strikes a keynote ; while the 
Christ in Limbo, delivering Adam and Eve from the jaws 
of death, contains all the salient elements which you will 
find, improved and transformed in later versions. Note in 
crucifixes the point where the two separate nails in the feet, 
seen in this example and the next, are replaced by the single 



VI.] THE UFFIZI, ETC 1 35 

nail, a later representation. Observe also whether the eyes 
are open or closed. 

4 has the same devices of towers and canopies, to mark 
towns and interiors, to which I have already called attention 
in the barbaric Magdalen at the Belle Arti. 

6, a Crucifix with the single nail, has the position of St. 
John and the Virgin well-marked on the cross-pieces. The 
pelican feeding her young above is symbolical. It recurs 
often. I do not dwell upon these very early works, as they 
lack artistic interest : but the visitor who takes the trouble 
to examine them in detail, as well as the Madonnas in their 
neighbourhood, will be repaid for his trouble. For example 
5, by Guido da Siena, an important early Sienese master, 
marks decided advance upon 2, and leads the way to the 
later Sienese manner, which is already present in embryo in 
this picture. 

In 7, do not overlook Peter and Paul, and St. Catherine 
between the wheels, in the predella. 

8. A fine altar-piece, attributed to Giotto, of the Agony in 
the Garden, where the angel with the literal cup and the 
three sleeping Apostles are highly characteristic of the type. 
You have seen them elsewhere in later examples. Note the 
little figure of the donor at the side. The Kiss of Judas and 
the Parting of the Raiment in the predella must not be 
omitted. 

9. A Florentine altar-piece, where the Madonna and Child 
are flanked by the patron of the city (St. John Baptist), and 
the local bishop, San Zanobi, identifiable by the Florentine 
lily on his morse or buckle. 

10. St. Bartholomew enthroned, with his usual knife, and 
angels recalling the manner of Cimabue, was of course 
painted for an altar dedicated to the saint. Note these 
saints enthroned, in the same way as Our Lady, often with 
other saints forming a court around them. 

Beside it, two Giottesque Crucifixions, in the first of 
which, 13, the position of the Madonna, the Magdalen, and 
St. John, and the angel catching the sacred blood, will by 
this time be familiar. In the second, 12, (a Crucifix) note 



136 FLORENCE [vi. 

the gradual approximation to reality in the altered posi- 
tions of Our Lady and St. John as contrasted with those in 
earlier Crucifixions. 

ii is again a Florentine Madonna, with the two local 
saints, (John Baptist, Zanobi) a mandorla of cherubs, and 
angels holding the Florentine lily. Note that this is some- 
times represented by the white lily and sometimes by the 
iris. 

14, an altar-piece of the school of Orcagna. St. John the 
Evangelist, enthroned, with his eagle by his side, trampling 
on the vices, in a fashion which is characteristic of Domini- 
can painting. They bear their names : Pride, Avarice, 
Vainglory. Notice, above, the characteristic Christ, holding 
the Alpha and Omega. You will do well to spend a whole 
morning (if you can spare the time) in attentive study of 
these first fourteen numbers. They cast floods of light on 
subsequent painting. 

Beyond the door, 17, Ascension of St. John the Evangelist. 
An altar-piece closely suggested by Giotto's fresco in Santa 
Croce. Compare with photographs. 

Above it, 15, Pietro Lorenzetti, a characteristic and gentle 
Sienese Madonna. Compare it with Guido's No. 5. Observe 
the placid Sienese angels, with their somewhat ill-humoured 
mouths, drawn fretfully downward, a survival from the 
morose Byzantine severity. Very early art is never joyous. 
The inscription is curious, because in it, as in most pictures 
of the school of Siena, the panel itself speaks in the first 
person — So-and-so painted me. 

16, the story of the Anchorites in the Desert, by Pietro 
Lorenzetti, is partly reminiscent of the great fresco in the 
Campo Santo at Pisa. Most of its many episodes you will 
find explained in Mrs. Jameson. It takes much studying. 

Above, 26, good altar-piece by Bernardo Daddi : St. 
Matthew, St. Nicolas of Bari. Nicolas was the name of 
the donor. 

From this point the technical excellence of the pictures 
increases rapidly. 20, St. Cecilia, patroness of music, once 
wrongly attributed to Cimabue. This is a good and stately 



vi.] THE UFFIZI, ETC 137 

Giottesque figure, for her altar in her old church at Florence, 
now destroyed. Round it are eight (habitual) stories of her 
life. L side, (1) her wedding feast (note the music :) (2) she 
reasons with her husband, Valerian, in favour of virginity : 
(3) an angel crowns Cecilia and Valerian : (4) Cecilia con- 
verts her husband's brother, Tiburtius. R side, (5) the bap- 
tism of Tiburtius ; (6) her preaching : (7) her trial before a 
Roman Court : and (8) her martyrdom in flames in her bath. 
All are quaintly and interestingly treated. See Mrs. Jameson. 

The altar-piece above has its names inscribed on it. Its 
types are worth study. 

23. * # Simone Martini and Lippo Metnmi, the Annunci- 
ation, one of the loveliest altar-pieces of the early school of 
Siena. The exquisite angel, to the L, bears a branch of 
olive (beautifully treated) instead of the more usual lily, 
which, however, stands in a vase to separate him from the 
Madonna. Note the words of the Salutation (raised in 
gold) issuing from his mouth, and the inscriptions on his 
charming flowing ribbons. Do not omit the exquisite work 
of his robe. Our Lady herself, seated in a dainty inlaid 
chair, representative of the finest ecclesiastical furniture of 
this period, shrinks away, as often. The book and curtain 
are habitual. The Madonna's almond-shaped eyes and 
somewhat fretful drawn-down mouth still faintly recall By- 
zantine precedents. But the mild Sienese spirit and fine 
painting of the piece are admirable. Do not overlook the 
dove escorted in the centre in a mandorla of cherubs, and 
the three arches isolating the personages. Linger long 
over this masterpiece. R and L are two patron saints of 
Siena, Sant' Ansano and Saint Juliet, with their palms of 
martyrdom. Here, again, in the inscription, the picture 
speaks. Compare this exquisite altar-piece in all its details 
with previous works of the school of Siena. It is one of the 
loveliest things in this gallery. 

In 22, observe the Annunciation, above, in two compart- 
ments; the coat of arms ; and the singular inscription, (Hear 
the other side) probably betokening it as a votive offering 
from a party to a quarrel, in opposition to some other 



138 FLORENCE [vi. 

already dedicated. (The official catalogue refers it to some 
court of justice.) 

27. attributed to (the doubtful painter) Giottino. A very 
fine Deposition from the Cross, reminiscent in its principal 
figures of the Giotto at Padua. The saints to the R, show- 
ing the nails, may be well compared as to attitude with the 
great Fra Angelico at the Belle Arti. To the L are two 
donors, with their patrons placing their hands on their 
heads. The one in white is St. Benedict : the other I take 
to be (not San Zanobi, but) St. Remi, (Remigio) from whose 
church the picture comes. 

28. Agnolo Gaddi, Annunciation, where the loggia, book,* 
dove, vase with lilies, and other particulars, should all be 
noted. This is an unusually good specimen of its artist. 
The little scenes in the predella will by this time explain 
themselves. Note that an interior is still represented by 
taking out one side of the building. Compare the Adora- 
tion and the Presentation with others seen previously. (A 
Presentation, by the way, can always be distinguished from 
a Circumcision by the presence of Simeon and Anna, the 
former of whom usually holds the divine infant.) 

29. Niccolo di Piero Gerini, Coronation of the Madonna, 
with attendant group of Florentine patron saints. From 
the Mint of Florence. You will recognise the Baptist, 
Santa Reparata (with her red cross flag ;) San Zanobi ; St. 
Anne, holding the town of Florence ; St. Catherine with 
her spiked wheel ; St. Joseph with the budded staff; St. 
John the Evangelist (r) holding his Gospel ; St. Matthew 
(l) holding his, with the first word inscribed, etc. 

30. School of Agnolo Gaddi, the Doubting Thomas : a 
characteristic treatment. 

31. Another Coronation of the Virgin. The saints are 
named. Note their characteristics. The one you may fail 
to recognise is St. Ivo, who is in Florence the patron of 
orphans. Observe the combination of Francis and Dominic. 
In the cuspidi. Annunciation, in two portions. 

36. Another Annunciation, of the School of Orcagna. 
Here the division, such as it is, is made by means of the 



VI.] THE UFFIZI, ETC 1 39 

arches. Unless I mistake, two separate panels have here 
been united. This often happens in Annunciations. 

32. Giovanni da Milano, altar-piece, with group of named 
saints. Below, choruses of Virgins, Martyrs, Patriarchs, 
etc. All have their names. Note their characteristics. 
The picture was painted for the church of Ognissanti (All 
Saints), whence the assemblage. Catherine and Lucy often 
go together. The latter has two symbols, both significant 
of her name : a flame, or her eyes in a dish. Originally 
only emblems to suggest the name, these marks have later 
legends attached to them. The two holy martyrs, St. 
Stephen and St. Lawrence, buried in the same grave, also 
go together. See in Mrs. Jameson the quaint story of how 
Laurence, "the courteous Spaniard," turned over on his 
side to give the best place to the earlier martyr. In the 
last of the group, the scallop-shell of St. James marks him 
as the saint to whose great shrine (Santiago de Compos- 
tella) pilgrims made religious journeys. The dove at St. 
Gregory's ear we have often before noted. I cannot too 
strongly recommend study of such named saints and 
choruses for identification afterwards. Notice among those 
below : Reparata, with her flag ; Agnes with her lamb ; and 
Margaret with her dragon, among the Virgins ; Noah with 
his ark, among the Patriarchs, and so forth. The Prophets 
hold distinctive verses in the Vulgate from their own 
writings. Above, in small circles, the Lord creating heaven 
and earth. 

35. St. Martin dividing his cloak with the beggar : a 
common French subject, rarer in Italy. 

40. Pieta, by Lorenzo Monaco ; with symbolical figures 
in the background of Pilate washing his hands ; the Sacred 
coat ; Judas receiving the money ; the knife that cut 
Malchus's ear ; Peter and the servant ; the sun and moon 
darkened ; the pelican and its young ; the crowing cock ; 
the lance of St. Longinus ; and many other symbols, the 
rest of which I leave to the reader. Puzzle it out in detail. 

Do not pass by 37, Spinello Aretino, and others, merely 
because I do not mention them. (In this picture for example, 



140 FLORENCE [vi. 

the halo round the head of St. Longinus, the devil carrying 
away the soul of the impenitent thief, the parting of the 
raiment, etc., should all be noticed. The last scene usually 
occupies the R hand side in historical as opposed to de- 
votional pictures of the Crucifixion. Observe in future 
which scene is intended.) 

39. * Don Lorenzo Monaco, Adoration of the Magi. A 
fine picture, with the usual long and sinuous bodies and 
drapery of that peculiar painter. Observe, to the R, the at- 
tendants seeing the star and struck with wonder. Also, the 
Moors in the suite, and the very imaginative camels. I have 
treated of this picture at much greater length in an article 
in the Pail-Mall Magazine on Adorations in general. The 
scenes above are by a later hand : observe the very graceful 
Annunciation. 

41. Don Lorenzo Monaco, fine Tabernacle, in its original 
frame, with Madonna and Child, named saints, and An- 
nunciation. Observe, in almost all these early Madonnas, 
the draped infant, and note the point where the nude com- 
mences. 

43. Zanobi Strozzi, Giovanni de' Medici. Interesting 
chiefly as an early portrait of the shrewd old founder of that 
great family. 

44. The same, St. Lawrence Enthroned on his Gridiron. 
Below, episodes of his legend. To the R, he releases souls 
from Purgatory — a hint to pray to him for friends in 
torment. 

45. * Bicci di Lorenzo, Cosmo and Damian, the two 
Medici saints with their medical instruments and boxes of 
drugs. The attitudes, I think, are partly suggested by a 
Byzantine original, though the technique and treatment are 
of course Florentine of the period. Below, in the predella, 
two quaint little stories — the miracle of the Moor's leg, and 
the decapitation of the holy doctors. 

46. Madonna Enthroned, with St. Philip and St. John 
Baptist. 

48. Madonna and Child, with, L, St. John Baptist of 
Florence and St. Francis with the Stigmata ; R, the 



VI.] THE UFFIZI, ETC 141 

Magdalen and St. John the Evangelist. In the aisptdi, St. 
Peter and St. Paul. 

Close by, 49 and 50 : interesting little panels of St. Cath- 
erine standing on her wheel, and St. Francis on a symbolical 
desert. 

51. Florentine Madonna, with St. John Baptist, Antony 
Abbot, Peter, Lawrence. Note, on the frame, the usual 
symbols of the Magdalen and St. Catherine. 

Here is the door to the First Tuscan Room, which pass 
for the present, and continue on along the Long Corridor. 

52. Paolo Uccello, Cavalry battle. Interesting as showing 
his early attempts at movement of horses, foreshortening, 
etc. This is very bad. His picture in the National Gallery 
shows an immense advance on this early effort. Observe 
particularly the hard task he has had in trying to foreshorten 
the dead horses in the foreground. 

53. Neri di Bicci, characteristic Annunciation, on the 
same model as those in the Belle Arti. Garden, bed- 
chamber, and all details, are conventional. This is better 
painted, however, than is usual with Neri. 

School of Verrocchio, Madonna, with characteristic Flor- 
entine type of the period. 

56. Pesellino, (more probably Baldovinetti) Annunciation, 
with the angel just entering. This somewhat unusual point 
should be noted. Also, the attitude of the Madonna, 
reminiscent of Donatello's treatment. The porphyry arcade 
is also interesting. The cypresses recur. Never pass by an 
Annunciation unnoticed. 

54. Neri di Bicci, wooden Madonna, with angels of the 
same material, drawing the curtain, and Child opening a 
pomegranate. 

60. Baldovinetti, interesting as a specimen or its rare 
painter, who aimed at certain effects unusual in his period. 
Madonna and Child, with Florentine and Medici saints. 
Cosmo and Damian may be compared with the previous 
picture in this gallery by Bicci di Lorenzo. Then, St. John 
Baptist, now growing youthful : he is generally young for the 
High Renaissance. Beyond, St. Lawrence, with his grid- 



142 FLORENCE [VI 

iron embroidered on his deacon's robe as a symbol : he 
represents Lorenzo de' Medici. Behind him, St. Julian for 
Giuliano de' Medici. Next, St. Peter Martyr and St. Antony 
Abbot, joint patrons of Piero de' Medici. To balance St. 
Peter Martyr, St. Francis, kneeling. A very family picture, 
with Franciscan and Dominican suggestions. The cypresses 
in the blackground, common elements in such scenes, may 
be compared with many other adjacent pictures of the 
period or earlier. This was once a good hard picture, but 
it has been badly treated. Compare with 56 for technical 
method. 

62, I note mainly as being a rare secular picture of its 
period. 

63. Cosimo Rosselli's Coronation of the Virgin. The 
utter want of sacredness in its angels' faces is conspicuous. 
The technique, though hard, has this painter's merits. Note 
the triple crowns on the two chief personages. 

65. Same painter, Adoration of the Magi, where the 
Florentine portraits to the L are noteworthy. This is, in- 
deed, a picture painted for the sake of its portraiture. The 
curious character-study in the St. Joseph is worth notice. 
Observe the tendency towards greater truth in the landscape 
background. 

79. Perhaps Botticelli. Dainty Tuscan Madonna, with 
typical face, in clouds with angels. 

69, 70, 71, 72, y^. Five somewhat insipid figures of Virtues 
by Pollaiolo, much injured. The Renaissance frieze and 
decorations are noteworthy. 

64 is amply described on its frame. A good hard picture. 

84. Piero di Cosimo. One of that painter's favourite 
mythological scenes, — the Marriage of Perseus. Observe 
the composition and treatment. We here get a new note 
struck by the Renaissance, both in painting and architec- 
ture. 

Above it, 75, Charming unknown Tuscan Madonna. 
Observe in the Madonnas, etc., of this group the increasing 
nudity of the infant. 

80. School of Ghirlandajo. Good hard Madonna and 



VI] THE UFFIZ1, ETC 143 

saints. You will recognise St. Blaise with his wool-carder, 
St. Antony of Padua, St. Benedict, and St. Antony Abbot. 
Bishop Blaise is the patron of the wool-trade, one of the 
staple businesses of mediseval Florence. 

Beyond this, unnumbered, Luca Signorelli, two fine pic- 
tures, noticeable for their study of the nude and their 
anatomical knowledge. Luca is in this respect, as in many 
others, the precursor of Michael Angelo. Art for art's sake 
is his theory. The shepherds in the background are there 
only because Luca likes to paint them. 

81 and 83. Piero di Cosimo, in two very different moods. 
The Andromeda is most characteristic. Piero delighted in 
these grotesque and incongruous monsters. In the Madonna 
picture, the eagle marks St. John the Evangelist ; the lily, 
St. Antony of Padua ; the keys, St. Peter ; the cross, San 
Filippo Benizzi (?) ; then St. Catherine and St. Margaret, 
kneeling in the foreground. 

90. The beginning of the Decadence. Peruginesque 
Madonna, in a mandorla, adored by saints who foreshadow 
the 17th cent. The St. Francis in front leads on to the in- 
sipid church pictures of the Baroque period. The others 
are the Baptist, Jerome, and Antony Abbot. . 

91. Gerino da Pistoia, Madonna and Saints. I call atten- 
tion to this picture mainly in order that you may judge for 
yourself whether the exquisite Cenacolo di Fuligno in the 
Via Faenza (to be visited later) can really be attributed to 
this insipid and jejune artist. The San Rocco to the R 
showing the wound in his leg is a characteristic figure of the 
painter. The other saints are easily recognised. 

In this Long Corridor you have just been able to trace the 
gradual development of Tuscan art (for the most part as 
seen in its second or third rate representatives) from the 
earliest date down to the High Renaissance. We will now 
proceed into the rooms which contain the worthier repre- 
sentatives of the great age of the early Renaissance. Do 
not however, neglect the early works ; without them, you 
can never intelligently understand the later ones. 



144 FLORENCE [vi. 

Return along the Corridor to the first open door marked 
Scuola Toscana. Pass through the first room, and enter 
the second, opposite, the 

Sala Terza, 
which contains the pictures that come first in chronological 
order among the later painters. This room you cannot 
study too long. It embraces the finest work of the best 
period. 

Wall to the L, as you enter. Jacopo (Landini) di Casen- 
tinos brilliantly coloured Glory of St. Peter, seen enthroned 
as Pope, with stories from his life on either side. The at- 
tendant saints and church dignitaries to whom he distributes 
honours are symbolical : examine them. Note St. Cosmo. 
The group of Peter in prison, visited by the angel, to the L, 
is interesting both in itself and for comparison with the 
noble Renaissance work in the Brancacci chapel at the 
Carmine. (Go from one to the other.) To the R, the Cruci- 
fixion of Peter. At the ends, 8 Apostles or evangelists, 
Andrew, John, Philip, Matthew, Thomas, the Jameses, 
Luke. 

Above it, 131 5, Mainardi : Beautiful figures of three saints, 
of whom the chief, St. Stephen, enthroned, is an exquisite 
modification of the traditional type. Beside him, James and 
Peter. 

** 1285, Recently attributed to Leonardo : it so, an 
early work. Beautiful Annunciation. Note here again how 
the traditional features are all retained, including even the 
garden and the cypresses in the background, (so frequent in 
early works,) while the whole spirit of the scene is trans- 
formed and transfused with the developed artistic ideas of 
the Renaissance. Observe the exquisite sculpture of the 
prie-dieu. Our Lady's hands are not Leonardesque. They 
recall rather the school of Botticelli. This debateable picture 
may be by Ridolfo Ghirlandajo : but, whoever painted it, it 
is very beautiful. 

1295. *Ghirlandajo's round Adoration of the Magi, one of 
this great painter's masterpieces : admirably balanced and 
richly coloured. The Madonna and Child, the Three Kings 



VI.] THE UFFIZI, ETC 1 45 

in the foreground, and the Joseph should all be closely 
noted. Observe the attitudes and actions of the Kings. 
Their faces are clearly portraits. So are the shepherds, with 
clear-cut features, (as of Florentine scholars and humanists) 
in the group to the R, and the delicate lads with Medici 
faces, near the sheep and horses in the background. Notice 
the beautiful ruined temple, with its conventional shed or 
stable, and the ox and ass close by, as well as the admirable 
painting and foreshortening of the horses. The composition, 
though full, is admirable : the colour most harmonious. 
Every detail of this picture, one of the finest specimens of 
Renaissance art, should be carefully studied, both for com- 
parison with others, and as a specimen of its artist's consum- 
mate skill. 

I have dealt with this also at greater length in the Pall- 
Mall Magazine, on the subject of Adorations. 

1301. Antonio Pollaiolo : St. James, with his pilgrim's hat 
and staff, flanked by St. Vincent and St. Eustace. The 
central saint in such groups is of course the important one. 
Fine characteristic figures by this good but not very sympa- 
thetic painter. He thinks more of anatomy and portraiture 
than of soul or sacredness. The colour is splendid. The 
St. Vincent here may well be compared with his brother 
deacon St. Stephen, in the Mainardi opposite. Painted for 
the Chapel of St. James (of the Cardinal of Portugal) at Sari 
Miniato. 

131 1. *Lorenzo di Credi, "Touch me Not" : Christ and 
the Magdalen in the Garden. A beautiful specimen of the 
tender and finished painting of this exquisite artist, who 
always succeeds best in small subjects. Observe the deli- 
cate and clear-cut landscape in the background, which 
should be compared with the mistier and more poetical 
effect of the mountains in Leonardo's Annunciation beside 
it. Contrast also the painting of the robe of Christ with the 
Madonna's bosom and the angel's sleeve in the (doubtful) 
Leonardo, which last are as well done as it is possible to do 
them. Lorenzo's painting has always the distinctness of a 
bas-relief. 

K 



I46 FLORENCE [VI. 

1300. Piero della Francesca, good hard portraits (named) 
in the dry and formal profile manner of this excellent Um- 
brian painter. At the back, (swung by a hinge) an allegori- 
cal triumph of the same personages : the duchess drawn by 
unicorns, the symbol of chastity. Where sufficient informa- 
tion is given on the frames I do not repeat it. 

13 1 3. Lorenzo di Credi, Christ and the Woman of Samaria, 
good, but not quite so satisfactory as its companion picture. 
Beneath this, a fine predella by Luca Signorelli, admirable 
as indicating the aims of the artist 

Entrance wall, beside the door. **ii6o, Lorenzo di 
Credi, Annunciation. A most beautiful Renaissance revivifi- 
cation of somewhat the same early type as that often repro- 
duced by Neri di Bicci (see the Long Gallery). Observe 
the admirable way in which the traditional motives are here 
retained and beautified. There is nothing new, but every- 
thing is altered with subtle charm. The attitude and ex- 
pression of the angel, and the little start of the Madonna, 
all copied from the Giottesque, are most admirable in their 
wholly different treatment. Note at the same time how 
much more closely Lorenzo has followed the traditional 
ideas than Leonardo (if it be Leonardo) has done. Even 
the little round windows you will frequently find in earlier 
treatments ; but the clear drawing, the dainty colour, the 
fairy-like scene, the exquisite delicacy of the technique, are 
all Lorenzo's own. So is the beautiful landscape seen 
through the windows. There are four Annunciations in 
this room, two of them by Lorenzo. Compare them care- 
fully, in order to mark coincidences and differences. Also, 
compare the other Lorenzos here. Nowhere else in the 
world will you see him all at once to equal advantage. You 
cannot linger too long over this delicious picture. 

1307. **Filippo Lippi, Madonna and Child, the infant 
supported by two merry boy-angels. Note the folds of the 
transparent stuff in Our Lady's head-dress. This is an 
exquisite picture, presenting the same general types as the 
Coronation of the Virgin in the Belle Arti. It is perhaps 
Filippo : s most charming panel work. There is little to 



VI.] THE UFFIZI, ETC 1 47 

understand in it, but worlds to look at. Return to it again 
and again till it has burnt itself into your memory. It was 
painted for Cosimo Pater Patriae, and stood originally as 
an altar-piece in a room in the Medici (Riccardi) Palace. 
The Madonna is the most perfect embodiment of Lippi's 
ideal. The angels are delicious. Even the chair-arm is a 
poem. As for the colour, it is exquisite. 

Above it, 1287, round Madonna and Child, by Lorenzo di 
Credi. This is a type of subject commonly known as the 
Madonna adoring the Child : you will meet it often. Ob- 
serve the infant St. John of Florence, sustained by an angel. 
(See how the Renaissance alters St. John.) The ruined 
temple and Joseph sleeping in the background (to suggest 
night) are all conventional. As usual, Lorenzo is less suc- 
cessful on this larger scale than in his smaller pictures : he 
loses by expansion. Only the Child here is quite worthy 
of his genius. Compare carefully with the infinitely more 
beautiful Annunciation beneath it. Yet, if any one else had 
painted it, it would have been a masterpiece. We judge 
Lorenzo by Lorenzo's standard. 

1223. Franciabigio : Temple of Hercules. Interesting 
chiefly as a specimen of these curious Renaissance resusci- 
tations of classical subjects. It was the front of a chest, to 
contain a bride's trousseau. 

Above it, 1303, **Botticelli, exquisitely beautiful Madonna 
and Child, enthroned, in a niche. In this picture again 
there is nothing to explain, but much to admire and wonder 
at. The type of Our Lady is one of Botticelli's most 
spiritual conceptions. 

13 14. **Lorenzo di Credi, another beautiful little An- 
nunciation, with the motives considerably varied on the 
preceding one, but scarcely less beautiful. You will observe 
by this time that Annunciations fall into different types, and 
that works in each type are suggested by predecessors. In 
this delicious and clear little picture, observe the attitude 
and hand of the kneeling angel ; the adoring wonder and 
joy of the Madonna ; and the beautiful landscape in the 
background, dainty and pure as always with Lorenzo. But 



148 FLORENCE [vi. 

observe, also, the constant survival of the loggia, the divid- 
ing pillar, and the bed in the background. This is a simple 
treatment, but exquisitely effective. 

1 168. Lorenzo di Credi, Madonna and St. John, with 
charming landscape background ; a beautiful work, not 
quite, however, attaining the level of the two Annunciations. 
This Mater Dolorosa is of course represented after the 
Crucifixion. Lorenzo succeeds best with isolated figures, as 
in this room, and the Louvre altar-piece : where he attempts 
composition, he loses in beauty. 

Above these, 1291 : *Luca Signorelli, Holy Family, in 
which the springs of Michael Angelo's art can be distinctly 
seen. As technique, this picture is of great interest. Ob- 
serve the masterly treatment of the drapery. It is interest- 
ing to contrast the type of colouring in this work, in the 
Lorenzo, and in the supposed Leonardo, — which last, who- 
ever painted it, is a glorious piece of colouring. 

Below, in a predella, notice the quaint little Sienese stories 
from the Life of Benedict, redolent of the naivete of place 
and period. Centre, as a child, he mends his nurse's broken 
platter : L, in penitence at the grotto of Subiaco : R, he is 
visited at Monte-Cassino by King Totila. 

The R wall is devoted to four exquisite pictures by 
Botticelli. In the centre, an ^Annunciation, in some ways 
resembling in motive two others in the room, the kneeling 
Gabriel recalling the second Lorenzo di Credi, while the 
attitude of the Madonna highly resembles the first. But the 
difference in technique and conception is immeasurable. 
There is not a detail in this liquid-flowing drapery that is 
not instinct with Botticellian feeling. The attitudes of the 
hands should be compared with the Three Graces in the 
Primavera. The landscape background may be contrasted 
with Lorenzo. The coincidences and differences in these 
pictures will help you towards a conception of the painter's 
manner. Movement is the key-note of Botticelli's art. 

On either side of it are two round pictures, also by 
Botticelli. That to the L, **i26y bis, is an inexpressibly 
lovely Coronation of the Virgin, where the attendant angels 



VI.] THE UFFIZI, ETC 1 49 

represent Medici children. About this picture I have 
nothing to say. It can only be left to the silent admiration 
and gratitude of the spectator. 

To the R, 1289, is *a Madonna enthroned, with the Child 
(lumpy) bearing a pomegranate. The adoring angels also 
suggest Medici portraits. The atmosphere and feeling of 
the whole picture are exquisite. 

To the extreme R and L on the wall are two companion 
allegorical figures, ^Strength by Botticelli, and Prudence 
by Pollaiolo. These pictures, being painted as companion 
pieces, afford an excellent opportunity for contrasting the 
spirit of the two painters. They belong to the same series 
as those in the Long Corridor. 

On an easel in this room is **Fra Angelico's Coronation 
of the Virgin, an often copied picture, with exquisite groups 
of adoring saints. After our study of this painter at the 
Belle Arti, however, its characteristics will sufficiently reveal 
themselves by inspection. It deserves long notice as one 
of the most beautiful of the master's easel pictures. It 
comes from the Church of Santa Maria Nuova. A couple 
of dozen saints may be recognised. 

Now, enter the room through which you have already 
passed, 

Scuola Toscana, Seconda Sala. 

This room contains for the most part works of the High 
Renaissance, tending towards the decadence. Some are 
of the first order of merit, but many are quite inferior in 
interest to those in the hall we have just quitted. 

Beginning at the L as you enter, 1271, Bronzino, Christ 
Releasing the Souls from Hades. In this tasteless and 
empty work, only the formal elements belong to the early 
conception : the whole spirit and sacredness of the scene 
has disappeared ; the composition is vapid. The Christ, 
still bearing his traditional white flag with the red cross, is 
treated merely as an excuse for painting the nude, as are 
most of the other figures round him : and very ugly nude 
Bronzino makes of them. The Saviour seizes by the hand 
a brown bald-headed Adam, whom one recognises only by 



150 FLORENCE [vi. 

the aid of earlier pictures. The semi-nude women and boys 
of the foreground are painted entirely for their naked limbs, 
with the empty art of Bronzino, and with his usual pallid, 
unnatural flesh-colours. The colouring of all the draperies 
is also as bad and as crude as it can be. It is curious, in 
this typical High Renaissance picture, with its false and 
affected art, to catch glimpses here and there of the earlier 
saints and patriarchs, with reminiscences of their con- 
ventional symbols. The work is mainly interesting as a 
study in the springs of the decadence. Compare it with the 
great and noble Christ in Limbo of the Spanish Chapel. 

Next to it, 1269, Vasari, Portrait of Lorenzo the Mag- 
nificent, a good picture of its sort, but chiefly interesting as 
a portrait illustrating the mean and petty character of the 
man it represents. 

1270. Pontormo, Cosimo I. A good portrait, in the 
brilliant reds which this painter loved, and which doubtless 
here represent in part the traditional costume of St. Cosmo, 
patron saint of the Grand Duke and his family. Compare 
with the work opposite, 1267, also by Pontormo, a com- 
panion portrait (not contemporary) of Cosimo Pater Patriae, 
the founder of the family greatness, in the dress which you 
will now recognise as being that of St. Cosmo, the holy 
doctor, as seen in the Bicci di Lorenzo of the Long Corridor. 
The portrait was, of course, modernised by Pontormo from 
earlier contemporary pictures. 

Between these two, **Andrea del Sarto's beautiful 
Madonna and Child, raised on a pedestal, supported by two 
charming baby angels, and flanked on either side by St. 
Francis and St. John the Evangelist. They are almost 
devoid of symbols. Compare the exquisitely soft and 
blended colour of this noble and touching work with the 
crudity and vulgarity of the contrasted pigments in Bron- 
zino's Hades. These saints represent perhaps the highest 
development of the ancient type of altar-piece in which 
Our Lady is attended by two saints, one on either hand, in 
formal attitudes. The evolution of the composition in this 
set of subjects is a most interesting study. Our Lady's face, 



VI.] THE UFFIZI, ETC \§\ 

the Child, the draperies, the St. John, and his red cloak, 
are all as lovely as art can make them. In the St. Francis, 
just a note obtrudes itself of the coming degeneracy. He 
is a faint trifle affected. But, oh, what colour ! 

Beyond it, 1266, good portrait by Bronzino, showing him 
in one of his happier moments. 

1265. Design in bistre by Fra Bartolommeo for a Ma- 
donna and Child, with St. Anne behind. The position of 
the St. Anne is conventional : see the Leonardo in the 
Louvre : in other pictures in Florence the Madonna sits on 
her mother's lap. On either side stand the patron saints 
of Florence, conspicuous among whom are Santa Reparata 
and San Zanobi. This work, much praised by the critics 
for its skilful composition, seems to me to strike the first 
note of the decadence. The adoring face of St. Anne, how- 
ever, is undeniably beautiful. Observe the survival of her 
traditional head-dress. The saint was a popular favourite 
in Florence, as Walter de Brienne was expelled from the 
city on St. Anne's Day, which was ever afterwards kept as 
a public holiday. The picture was commissioned by the 
town of Florence. 

Back wall, 1261. Iacopo da Empoli, St. Ivo as pro- 
tector of orphans. A good late picture, painted for the 
magistracy of the orphans, of which the saint was patron. 
You will find a rude early picture of the same subject in 
the Opera del Duomo, interesting for comparison : St. Ivo 
wears a similar dress in both. 

Above it, one of Pontormo's ugliest nudes. 

1268. **Filippino Lippi, an exquisite but somewhat sad- 
faced Madonna, crowned by angels. The clear and lumi- 
nous colour strikes the eye at once. In the foreground 
is a fine ascetic figure of St. John Baptist of Florence, 
balanced by San Zanobi, distinguishable by the Florentine 
lily on his morse. In the background, St. Augustine (the 
authorities say, St. Victor) and St. Bernard. Observe the 
beautiful Renaissance architecture and the charming faces 
of the angels. The flowers also are lovely. Above, the 
arms of the Florentine people. This great work was painted 



152 FLORENCE [VI. 

for a hall in the Palace of the Signoria : hence the group- 
ing, and the Florentine arms at the summit. 

1257. **Filippino Lippi's exquisite Adoration of the 
Magi, a work instinct with Renaissance feeling. The Old 
King has already presented his gift, which is held by an 
attendant on the R. The Middle-aged King, close shaven, 
kneels behind him. The Young King, as often, is just taking 
his gift in his hand, while his crown is being removed by a 
servant, as in earlier pictures. But the movement and 
characterisation of the scene are entirely Filippino's. All 
the figures are portraits, some of them are Medici. The 
group of the Madonna and Child, with the yellow-robed 
St. Joseph bearing his staff, has been entirely transformed 
from earlier models by the painter's genius. The attendants 
to the R are particularly noteworthy. Even the conventional 
accessories of the ruined temple, the shed, the ox and ass, 
and the cavalcade in the distance, are all transfused with 
Filippino's own sympathetic temperament. This is one of 
the culminating pictures of the best age of the Renaissance : 
stand long before it. Observe the hands and feet, and the 
management of the drapery. 

R wall, 1283, Entombment. A good hard work by the 
little-known late Renaissance painter Raffaello di Franco 
(Botticini), conspicuous for its extraordinary want of 
emotion. The figures look as if an entombment were an 
every-day occurrence with them. The Florentine St. John 
Baptist marks the country of the painter. In the back- 
ground, the Way to Calvary. 

1 28 1 bis, Cosimo Rosselli, Madonna and Child with the 
infant St. John. Even harder and drier than is the painter's 
wont. To the R and L of her, St. James as pilgrim, and St. 
Peter with his keys. The hands and feet are the best part 
of the picture. Compare the solid angels holding the 
crown with the charmingly living and flowing figures in the 
Filippino to the L of it. Good drapery. 

Over the door, *Granacci, the Madonna letting fall the 
Sacra Cintola to St. Thomas. The charmingly youthful 
figure of the saint was evidently suggested by Nanni di 



VI.] THE UFFIZI, ETC 153 

Banco's admirable relief on the N. door of the Cathedral, 
itself suggested by the Orcagna at Or San Michele. To 
the R, St. Michael the Archangel kneels to balance St. 
Thomas. In the empty sarcophagus, flowers as usual— this 
time roses, not lilies. This is Granacci's masterpiece, and 
is an astonishingly fine example for such a painter. 

1252. ^Leonardo's unfinished Adoration of the Magi, in 
bistre. Compare with the Filippino. A fine work, full of 
Leonardesque power, but without sufficient detail to render 
it attractive to the general observer. 

1279. *Sodoma's celebrated St. Sebastian, shot with 
arrows. This is one of the most, beautiful representations 
of the subject, in a very low tone of colour, and is perhaps 
Sodoma's masterpiece. The angel descending in a glory 
behind with a crown of martyrdom is peculiarly full of 
Sodoma's spirit. Fully to appreciate it, however, you must 
know the master's other works at Siena. This panel, 
painted for a Sienese Society, was carried in procession as 
a plague picture by the Confraternity to which it belonged. 
On the back is a Holy Family, with St. Sigismund, and the 
other great plague saint, San Rocco. An attendant will 
unlock it for you. 

1278 bis, School of Verrocchio, good Madonna, with 
St. John of Florence, San Zanobi holding a model of the 
town and cathedral, St. Francis with the Stigmata, and St. 
Nicolas of Bari with his three balls. The*architecture and 
decoration are noteworthy. Observe also the palms and 
cypresses in the background, which often appear in similar 
pictures. 

1277 and 1275. Two miracles of San Zanobi, by Ridolfo 
Ghirlandajo, son of Domenico : from the church of the 
Fraternity of San Zanobi. These two pictures, like Gran- 
acci's Sacra Cintola, indicate the extraordinary way in which, 
during the great age of Florentine art, even secondary 
painters often produced works of the highest merit. Nothing 
can be better in its way than their drawing, composition, and 
colouring. The first represents the miracle of the tree which 
burst into leaf when the body of San Zanobi was being 



154 FLORENCE [vi. 

carried past it : (see the Cathedral.) Observe its naked 
boughs, and the leaves just draping them. Note the 
Baptistery on the R (without the later sculpture) and the 
tower of the Palazzo Vecchio : to the L, the Campanile and 
part of the o\d faqade of the Cathedral. The second picture 
shows the miracle of the restoration of the French (or Gallic) 
lady's son, which is also the subject of Ghiberti's relief on 
the Area of San Zanobi in the Cathedral. Observe the 
Florentine lily on San Zanobi's morse. Good portraits of 
bystanders. The colour here is beautiful ; the grouping 
fine!; and the air of returning life on the child's pallid face 
very well rendered. 

1259. *Mariotto Albertinelli's Visitation. Another splen- 
did example of the way in which comparatively minor artists 
produced noble works, in the full flush of the High Renais- 
sance. In composition this picture resembles somewhat the 
Ghirlandajo of the same subject in the Louvre, and far more 
closely the central part of the Pacchiarotto in the Belle Arti. 
Compare these two, and note the way the figures are sil- 
houetted against the sky in the background. The design is 
said to be by Fra Bartolommeo. I have traced the evolution 
of the arch in the background in one of my papers in the 
Pall-Mall Magazine. Observe the survival of the traditional 
hoods in both St. Elizabeth and Our Lady. This picture, 
however, shows the way in which the beautiful brocades 
and other carefully-wrought stuffs of early painting, well 
discriminated and reproduced, give place with the High 
Renaissance to what is known in the abstract as " drapery" — 
mere colour and folds, without distinctive texture. Observe 
this trait in this room, progressively, in the Filippinos, the 
Andrea del Sartos, the Albertinelli, and the Pontormo. 

Next the door, ^1254, Andrea del Sarto, St. James, with 
his pilgrim's staff, as protector of children ; a processional 
work, carried as a banner by the Confraternity of St. James, 
which protected orphans, and thus much injured. It now 
displays comparatively little of Andrea's delicate colour- 
ing. 

On easels in the centre, two recent acquisitions. *3452> 



VI.] THE UFFIZI, ETC 1 55 

Lorenzo di Credi's Venus, a fine treatment of the nude, not 
in colour quite equal to this artist's general level. 

3436. An Adoration of the Magi, drawn by Botticelli, but 
coloured, and spoiled in the colouring, in the 17th cent. 
Little of the master remains, except the sense of movement 
and the character in some of the faces. The distinctive 
Botticellian feeling has almost gone out of it. 

The little room to the R, 

Scuola Toscana, Prima Sala, 

contains an immense number of small works of various ages, 
many of which are of the first importance. 

Entrance wall, near the window, 1163 and 34. *Two 
admirable portraits by Lorenzo di Credi. Notice in the first 
the hands of a born sculptor, and the sense of form about the 
eyes and forehead. The second is that of a high-born and 
unscrupulous Florentine gentleman, a dangerous rival in a 
love-affair. 

"^i 178. Fra Angelico's Adoration of the Virgin. A beauti- 
ful little work, highly typical in its arrangement. In the 
background, the Temple ; in front, the High Priest, clad in 
his robe and ephod. To the R, the youthful figure of Our 
Lady, timid and girlish, accompanied by St. Anne and the 
Virgins of the Lord, with the usual group of children in the 
distance. To the L, St. Joseph with his budded staff, on 
which sits the dove of the Holy Spirit. Behind him, as 
always, the angry suitors, striking, and the impatient suitors 
breaking their staffs. To the extreme L, the golden and 
silver trumpets. Even the garden wall at the back, with its 
palms and cypresses, is a conventional feature. You will 
find it in several earlier pictures. Compare the Taddeo 
Gaddi in Santa Croce, where almost every figure occurs in 
the self-same order. I have treated this subject at length in 
one of my articles in the Pali-Mall Magazi7ie. 

1 182. * Botticelli's Calumny, one of this great painter's 
finest though less pleasing works. It is painted after the 
description of a picture by Apelles. The fine nude figure to 
the L recalls the Primavera. So does the beautiful form 



156 FLORENCE [vi. 

scattering roses over the nude man in the centre. The ad- 
mirable Renaissance enrichment of the architecture, and the 
reliefs of the tribune must not be overlooked. This is a work 
which requires long study. The drapery of the woman 
in the foreground, to the extreme R, is a marvel of colour- 
ing. 

Above it, three good little pictures, the finest of which, 
1 162, by Fra Angelico, is one of a series of the Life of John 
the Baptist, and represents Zacharias writing, " His name 
is John." 

1 1 52. Good small Fra Bartolommeo. 

1 1 84. *Fra Angelico, Death of the Madonna, attended, as 
usual, by the apostles and angels, with Christ in a mandorla 
receiving her glorified spirit. The apostles have their names 
inscribed on their haloes. Identify them. The little angels 
at the side are in Fra Angelico's most charming manner. 

1245. lacopo da Empoli. Good Sacrifice of Abraham. 
Somewhat reminiscent of Sodoma. Most of the other 
pictures on this wall require some attention. 

1 1 56, ** Botticelli's Judith, with the head of Holophernes, 
a marvellous work, deserving long study. No other painter 
ever put so much life and motion into his figures. 

Beyond the door, some of Bronzino's unpleasing nudes. 

A detestable Cigoli of St. Francis receiving the Stigmata, 
and other unpleasing works of the same period, are also 
here. 

End wall, an interesting Martyrdom of St. Sebastian. 
The type is the same as that of the Pollaiolo in the 
National Gallery, and the rude old work in the Opera del 
Duomo. 

Beneath it, 1146, attributed to Andrea del Sarto, Ma- 
donna and Child with the infant St. John. Not a pleasing 
specimen. 

1312. Another of Piero di Cosimo's fantastic monsters. 

1 1 50. School of Pinturicchio. Madonna, with St. Joseph 
and St. Blaise ; the latter easily recognised by his wool- 
carder. 

Return along the R wall. More nudes by Bronzino. A 



Vi.] THE UFFIZI, ETC 157 

little Visitation of the 17th cent, interesting to compare 
with the Albertinelli. 

Tolerable nudes by Zuccheri. 

1209. An unspeakably vulgarised Dead Christ by Bron- 
zino. 

Then, a Leda with the Swan, and other works, the best of 
their type, but singularly unpleasing. 

Beyond the door, 1179. Pretty little St. Sebastian by 
Botticelli. 

1 1 80. Small copy of Allori's fine Judith in the Pitti. 

1 1 59. Head of Medusa, unaccountably attributed to Leo- 
nardo. 

1 161. Exquisite little Circumcision and Nativity by Fra 
Bartolommeo. On the back of the flaps, Annunciation, in 
two separate pieces. 

1 1 57. * A fine portrait, attributed to Leonardo. 

1 158. * Botticelli. Holofernes discovered headless under 
his tent. 

Above these, three fine portraits, of which that by 
*Masaccio is very remarkable. The medallist (1154)? 
falsely called Pico della Mirandola, is probably a Botticelli. 
Higher still, good later portraits, by Andrea del Sarto, etc. 

I have passed lightly over the small works in this room 

because they are so numerous ; but many of them deserve 

the closest attention. Do not think because a picture is 

little it is unimportant. Some of the loveliest gems of the 

collection are in this small apartment. 

The next room, 

The Tribuna, 

contains what are generally considered the gems of the col- 
lection, though the selection by the authorities is in accord- 
ance with the taste of the beginning of this century rather 
than with that of the present generation. Start at the door, 
entering from the main corridor. L of the entrance : Holy 
Family by Alfani ; a trivial work, chiefly interesting as 
showing the mixed school of Perugino and Raphael. 

1 129. ** Raphael's Madonna del Cardellino, one of the 
most beautiful pictures of his Florentine period (1507). It 



158 FLORENCE [vi. 

should be compared with the Belle Jardiniere in the Louvre. 
The subject is one originally peculiar to Florentine painters, 
the Madonna and Child with the infant St. John of Florence, 
the latter here holding the symbolical goldfinch. Note how 
the earlier abstractness here gives way to a touch of natural- 
ism. The exquisite sweetness and Florentine cast of the 
Madonna's countenance, and the charming painting of the 
nude boys should be carefully noted. This, however, is one 
of those pictures which must be mainly left to the percep- 
tive powers of the reader. Do not overlook the charming 
contrast of the baby foot with the mother's in the fore- 
ground. 

1 127. Raphael, or more probably from a design by Ra- 
phael. The Young St. John in the Desert. Here the 
Renaissance love for the healthy youthful nude male form 
has triumphed over the asceticism of earlier conceptions. 
This is just a beautiful boy, with the traditional attributes 
of the penitent in the desert. The Florentine St. John 
is often thus used as a mere excuse for earthly painting 
or sculpture. You will meet him again in many shapes at 
the Bargello. 

Above it, n 30 and 11 26. Fra Bartolommeo, Job and 
Isaiah. Grand, or shall I say rather grandiose figures 
which reveal the spiritual parentage of the Raphael car- 
toons ; these are typical specimens of this great but un- 
pleasing High Renaissance painter. Art, not spirit : and 
the art itself chilly. 

1 125. Franciabigio, the Madonna of the well. Subject 
the same as the Raphael which balances it, but with the 
later Roman treatment, the spirituality all going out, and 
mere naturalistic prettinesses substituted for the careful 
painting and more spiritual ideals of the earlier epoch. A 
good work of its sort, but oh, how fallen ! 

1 1 24. * Very fine portrait by Francia. 

Beneath it, 1123. Probably Sebastiano del Piombo. The 
so-called Fornarina, attributed to Raphael. By whomever 
produced, this is a splendidly-drawn and well-painted but 
ugly and vulgar picture. Compare it with 



VI.] THE UFFIZI, ETC 1 59 

1 120. ^Raphael, A beautiful portrait of an unknown lady, 
in his earlier and better manner. The attribution is doubt- 
ful : it has been ascribed to Leonardo. 

1 121. *Mantegna, fine portrait of the Duchess of Urbino. 
Above the door, a good Rubens. 

1 1 15. *Fine Vandyck. 

1 1 17. *Titian's Venus. A beautiful voluptuous nude, of a 
type suggested by the Giorgione now at Dresden. Com- 
pare with photographs. 

1 1 36. Veronese. Very Venetian Holy Family, with volup- 
tuous fair-haired Venetian lady as St. Catherine. You can 
only know her for a saint because she carries a palm of 
martyrdom. Characteristic of the later lordly school of 
Venice. 

1131. One of the replicas of Raphael's Julius II. (some 
say the original). There is a better one in the Pitti, and a 
third in the National Gallery. 

1 141. **Diirer's Adoration of the Magi. Here in Flor- 
ence I will not dwell in detail on this noble German work, 
which may however be compared in all its details, for like- 
nesses and differences, with Italian representations. The 
face of the Madonna and of the Middle-aged King are 
essentially and typically German. The whole work, indeed, 
is redolent of German as opposed to Italian feeling : yet 
Diirer largely influenced contemporary Italians. In northern 
art, by the way, and as a rule in Lombardy and Venice, the 
Young King is a Moor. Note how in this picture almost 
all the traditional elements remain the same, yet how totally 
they are varied by the divergent spirit of the northern artist. 
Study of this picture and the Filippino in a neighbouring 
room is a fine lesson in the differences between German and 
Italian methods. 

1 122. *Perugino. Beautiful Madonna and Child, with the 
St. John Baptist of Florence, and the wounded St. Sebas- 
tian, — therefore, a plague picture. There is a fine replica of 
the last pathetic figure in the Louvre. This and Sodoma's 
are the most beautiful St. Sebastians ever painted. Peru- 
gino's is pure Umbrian in clearness and pietism : Sodoma's 



160 FLORENCE [VI. 

has the somewhat affected softness and glowing light of that 
Sienese Lombard. 

197. *Fine portrait by Rubens of his wife : extremely 
natural. 

1 1 14. Guercino's Sibyl, astonished to find herself in such 
strange company. 

1 108. A second Recumbent Venus by Titian. More 
simply voluptuous and more resembling Palma Vecchio's 
type than the former one. Good, but fleshly : it foreshadows 
Veronese. Beneath it, pictures of the later period, master- 
pieces, no doubt, in their own florid way, but sadly out of 
keeping with the Perugino, the Durer, and the Raphael of 
the Cardellino. 

1 143. Crown of Thorns, by Lucas Van Leyden. 

1 1 16. ^Portrait of Beccadelli by Titian. Admirable but 
not pleasing. The flesh and hands splendidly painted. 

1 1 39. **Michael Angelo's Holy Family, with about as 
much holiness in them as there was in the painter. A mag- 
nificent work, on an uncongenial subject. Our Lady is a fine 
vigorous woman of the lower orders, with an unpleasing 
face, and splendid arms and hands, excellently painted. 
The pose of her neck is wonderful. The Child is not a 
divine figure, but a fine study in anatomy and foreshorten- 
ing. The baby St. John of Florence in the background is a 
charming young Bacchus. The graceful nude figures be- 
hind, disposed in glorious attitudes, show what Michael 
Angelo really cared for. This is a triumphant work of art, 
but it none the less exhibits the futility of setting such a man 
to paint what were thought to be sacred pictures. Note the 
draperies. 

Above, a fine Vandyck and two Cranachs, (Adam and 
Eve) interesting as showing the crude northern conception 
of the unidealised nude, very well rendered. Compare this 
Eve, in its faithful likeness to a commonplace undraped 
model, with Lorenzo di Credi's graceful Venus in an adja- 
cent hall, or with the two voluptuous Venetian Titians in this 
very room. Compare the Adam, again, with Perugino's St. 
Sebastian. They mark the difference between the literal 



VI.] THE UFFIZI, ETC l6l 

simplicity of the north and the idealism and daintiness of 
the south. 

1118. Correggio's Repose on the Flight into Egypt, with 
St. Francis adoring. Not a pleasing specimen of the great 
master. 

Far more interesting and typical is his 1134, *the 
Madonna adoring the Child, a pretty Parman woman, 
charmed with her baby. It has all that mastery of light and 
shade, and that graceful delicacy of workmanship, which is 
peculiar to Correggio. But the simper is affected, and the 
sacredness is of course a negative quantity. A pretty 
domestic scene, masquerading as a Nativity. 

Above it, 1135, Luini, Herodias's daughter receiving the 
head of John the Baptist. The princess's face is fine and 
characteristic, but the work as a whole does not adequately 
represent Luini at his best. It is cold and laboured. 

The next Room, that of the 

Maestri Diversi Italiani, 

contains small pictures of the later period, mostly of dimin- 
ished interest. Amongst them, however, are some fine works. 
1025, A beautiful and delicately -finished little Mantegna, 
should be closely noticed. Its background is glorious. 
1 165, A rather pretty infant Christ lying on the. Cross, by 
Allori, has a certain sentimental interest. I will allow the 
reader to make his own selection among these minor works. 
An Annunciation, by Garofalo, 11 38, may be instructively 
compared with earlier and better treatments. Most of these 
pictures, indeed, are chiefly interesting as showing how later 
painters did ill what earlier artists had done much better. 
They are studies in decadence. 
The next room devoted to the 

Dutch School 

contains several admirable works, some of which are of the 
first importance. Such are : 972, by Metzu ; 870, by Heems- 
kerck ; 905, by Van der Werf ; 854, by Mieris ; 926, by 
Gerard Dou, etc. These works, however, have no natural 
organic connection with Florence, and though in many 

L 



162 FLORENCE [vi. 

cases extremely beautiful and wonderfully finished, they 
seldom require any explanation. They do not therefore fall 
within the scope of this work, and I will leave them to the 
reader's native appreciation. 

Somewhat the same may be said of the next room, con- 
taining 

Flemish and German pictures, 

many of which, however, are in their subjects more cognate 
with early Italian painting, so that they may often be com- 
pared to advantage with their southern compeers. In this 
room you cannot afford to overlook ^780 and *8oi, two ex- 
quisite portraits by Memling. *yj8 is a lovely portrait by 
the same, of a Benedictine monk in the character of St. 
Benedict — a frequent little excuse for portraiture. *777 is a 
fine head of St. Philip by Diirer. 771 and 773, are good 
miniatures of saints by Poelemburg. 768, a companion 
picture of St. James by Diirer. **76% an unspeakably 
beautiful portrait by Memling, which, as an example of 
Flemish style may be compared with **766, Diirer's essen- 
tially German portrait of his father, marvellous in its fidelity. 
838, A rather coarse portrait of Luther by Cranach. 847, 
The same, Melancthon. 845, The Electors of Saxony. 
765, **Holbein's magnificent portrait of Richard Southwell, 
too frank to be flattering — immensely superior to the one 
in the Louvre. 795. *Roger van de Weyden's wonderful 
Deposition, where the characteristics of northern art may be 
well contrasted with Italian treatments of the same subject. 
The two elder saints are Joseph of Arimathea and Nico- 
demus. 784 is a fine portrait by Anthony Mor. I do not 
dwell on any of these, as not essential to Florence : but if 
you have time to see them, after seeing all that is distinc- 
tively local, they will well repay you for your trouble. 
The 

Scuola Fiamminga e Tedesca, Prima Sala, 

similarly contains a number of admirable Flemish and 
German works. Conspicuous among these, on the wall 
which faces you as you enter, near the window, is **Mem- 



VI.] THE UFFIZI, ETC 1 63 

ling's exquisite Enthroned Madonna, where Our Lady's 
face is (as usual with Flemish art) somewhat vague and 
wooden, — a convention too sacred for art to tamper with : — 
while the two angels, especially the one with the apple to 
the L, are absolutely charming. The exquisite finish of 
everything in this triumph of Flemish painting should be 
carefully noted : — the architecture of the arches, the children 
holding festoons of fruit and flowers (themselves most 
daintily and delicately finished,) the delicious clear-cut 
landscape background, the richly-wrought brocade behind 
Our Lady's back, her hair and robe, the carpet at her feet, 
the draperies of the angels, and the lovely ecclesiastical 
vestments worn by the apple-bearer, all deserve the closest 
study. This glorious picture glows like a jewel. Only the 
fact that it is not Italian hurries me away from it. But did 
not Mantegna take occasional hints from such festoons as 
these in contemporary Flemish painters ? 

Close by is a lovely *Van der Goes (or Aldegrever ?) of 
the Madonna and Child, with St. Catherine and St. Bar- 
bara (?) and angels holding a crown above her head. 
Though inferior both in feeling and finish to the exquisite 
Madonna of the Portinari family, by the same artist, at 
Santa Maria Nuova, (which go and see,) it is nevertheless a 
splendid example of minute Flemish workmanship. I will 
only direct attention to the hair and robe of the Madonna 
and the architectural enrichments. 

Other pictures on the same wall, well deserving study, are 
Kulmbach's (or Schauffelein's) Crucifixion of St. Peter and 
Conversion of St. Paul ; an Adoration of the Magi, by an 
unknown 15th century Fleming (Gerard David? I think 
not) ; and some good little genre works by either Teniers. 

Beyond the door, charming portrait by Joost Van Cleef, 
(Justus of Ghent) of a Dominican nun, in the character of the 
Mater Dolorosa. An Adam and Eve, by Floris, show once 
more the harsh northern conception of the nude, now 
largely modified by Italian example. 

The end wall has a curious triptych by Nicolas Froment, 
the painter patronized by King Rene of Anjou (and the 



164 FLORENCE [vi. 

Meister Korn of the Germans). In the centre is the 
Resurrection of Lazarus, with the ghastly expression of 
returning life on a dead man's face rendered with painful 
truth and weird imagination. The bystanders holding their 
noses are conventional : see the old picture in the Belle 
Arti. The painting of their robes is very characteristic. L 
panel : " Lord, if Thou hadst been here our brother had not 
died." R panel : the Magdalen anointing the feet of Christ. 
The Pharisee in this and the central picture seems to me 
most typically German : but there are also undeniably Old 
French touches. Lafenestre claims it as French. Observe 
all the details. On the flaps outside, in grisaille, L, 
Madonna and Child ; R, the donors kneeling. Dated, 1461. 
Other good pictures on this wall I cannot particularise. 

L wall, 731, attributed to Jan Van Eyck, (I think 
erroneously : it is probably Dutch) ^Adoration of the Magi. 
Very interesting for comparison both with the Italians and 
the Diirer. Notice the Moorish king, the architecture of the 
background, and the shepherds on the R flap. The Old King 
seems almost worthy of the great master : perhaps copied. 

Below, 749, two admirable portraits attributed to Petrus 
Cristus. 

Here again I leave many fine works unnoticed, because 
of their want of connection with Florentine art or history. 

For the same reason I will not notice any of the works 

of the 

French School 

just beyond, though Clouet's Francois I er , Watteau's (?) 
Flute-player, and several others are well worth attention. 

Now, pass out of this suite of rooms into the End Corri- 
dor. The door to the L leads to a room containing the 
Gems, many of which are worth close inspection. The 
corridor is chiefly occupied with sculpture, though it has 
also a few tolerable pictures. Cross it to the R, observing as 
you go the charming views out of all the windows, especially 
the end one, looking down the Arno. Then, turn along the 
Second Long Corridor, on the west side, and enter the 
first door to your L, which gives access to the 



vi.] THE UFFIZI, ETC 1 65 

Scuola Veneta, Sala Prima. 

This room is full of good works, (chiefly bought by 
Cardinal Leopoldo de' Medici from a Florentine merchant 
at Venice) which excellently exhibit the splendid Venetian 
colouring. They are not, however, of the first importance, 
nor does the Uffizi contain a sufficient number of examples 
to enable you to form a conception of the Venetian School, 
especially if you have not yet visited Venice. (The Pitti 
supplements it.) 

Entrance wall : to the L of the door as you enter ; 585, 
Pordenone's fine Portrait of a Venetian Gentleman, well 
thrown up against a screen of wall, with admirable colour 
and accessories. 

Near it, 604, Carletto Veronese, (son of Paolo) the 
Madonna in clouds of glory, with St. Mary Magdalen, St. 
Justina, San Frediano of Lucca, with his rake, etc., a 
picture very characteristic of the later debased taste of 
Venice. The Magdalen has the face and costume of a 
courtesan. 

577, Good portrait by Paris Bordone. 587, Much finer 
portrait by the same. 

Above it, 601, Good characteristic portrait by Tintoretto 
of a Venetian admiral, where his peculiar tone of red is well 
marked. 

L wall ; 595, Group of the painter's family, by Jacopo 
Bassano, also very typical of the later Venetian feeling. 

**6o5 and *599, Portraits by Titian of the Duke and 
Duchess of Urbino, admirable as works of art, the painting 
of the armour and robes most noteworthy, but the Duchess's 
face extremely unpleasing. The Duke's is finely and boldly 
rendered. 

Above, 596, Paolo Veronese, Esther brought before Ahasu- 
erus. The central figures, the architecture, the accessories, 
and the spectators, of this good work are all extremely char- 
acteristic of Veronese's manner. The whole is envisaged as a 
Venetian pageant of his time, with high-born Venetian ladies 
and great signiors of the period. Note the man in armour 
on the extreme L, with the more commonplace figure who 



1 66 FLORENCE [vi. 

balances him on the R. Colour and composition are well 
worth study as typical of the painter. 

On an easel close by, 626,* Titian's Flora, a characteristic 
example of large, idealised, voluptuous, aristocratic, Vene- 
tian womanhood. A fine model, excellently rendered. 
Hair, arms, and robe, are all admirably painted. Note the 
dainty hands, with shade behind them, and the beautiful 
treatment of the L shoulder. The delicate flesh-tints could 
hardly be surpassed. The whole work is most light and 
luminous. The colour of the robe on the R is lovely. 

594. A murky Domenico Tintoretto of an apparition of 
St. Augustine. Below it, a characteristic Jacopo Bassano, 
Moses and the Burning Bush : both good examples of late 
Venetian manner. 

End wall, 3388, Tintoretto's Leda, a last product of 
the type initiated by Giorgione, and handed on by Titian. 
A graceful enough treatment of the nude, exquisite in its 
blended colour, less voluptuous and more ideal than Titian's 
models. The light and shade are marvellous. Notice the 
hands and feet, and the curtain in the background. The 
attendant by the chest is painted in one of Tintoretto's pecu- 
liar attitudes. 

Below it, 571, attributed to Giorgione, perhaps by Caroto, 
(or Torbido) a noble "^portrait, said to be Gattamelata, where 
face, hair, armour and everything are exquisitely painted. 

Next it, **i 1 1 1, a marvellous triptych by Mantegna. One 
of the minutest and finest works of the great master's early 
period. Its finish is exquisite. Note the influence of north- 
ern art in it. The central panel, slightly curved, consists of 
an Adoration of the Magi, where the face of the Madonna 
and the treatment of the Child are highly typical of Man- 
tegna's manner. The tall bent St. Joseph, the realistic 
portrait-like faces of the Three Kings, (almost German or 
Flemish in tone) the camels and cortege in the background, 
the cave behind, and the still half conventional rocks, should 
all be noted. Observe, too, how in North Italian art inter- 
course with the East (through Venice) makes the calvacade 
of the Kings really oriental in costume and features. All 



VI.] TEE UFFIZI, ETC 167 

the faces in the background are fine studies of Asiatic or 
African types. This is a picture to look into and dwell upon. 
To the L is the Resurrection, where the straining upward 
faces and necks show Mantegna's love of setting himself 
difficulties to conquer. Each of these attitudes and faces 
deserves close study. To the R, the Circumcision, where 
the shrinking boy in the Madonna's arms, and the aged 
figures close by, are thoroughly Mantegnesque. Observe the 
typical Paduan enrichment of the architectural background, 
and the Venetian touch in the bystander child sucking his 
finger. Every part of this magnificent work demands close 
attention. I have treated of it more fully in one of my 
articles in the Pall-Mall Magazine. 

■^648. Titian, pretty portrait of Caterina Cornaro, Queen 
of Cyprus, in the character of St. Catherine, whose spiked 
wheel just appears in the background. There is nothing 
else saintly about this attractive portrait of a lovely and 
richly-dressed Venetian woman. The purple satin of her 
sleeves, the rich green brocade, the jewellery and gewgaws, 
and the regal head-dress, are admirably painted. Notice 
especially the pearls, each produced by a few consummate 
touches. Note how art has become conscious and triumph- 
ant : it does things now with a twist of the hand which earlier 
it elaborated with endless minuteness. 

Beyond the door, 586, noble portrait by Moroni : fine in 
attitude, expression, and detachment from its background. 

R wall, 631, Giovanni Bellini. The Madonna by the 
Lake, a curious and unusual mystic attempt on this great 
painter's part to introduce novelty and variety into the 
groups of saints attendant on Our Lady. He had an order 
for so many, and he tried to vivify their grouping. To the 
extreme L is the Madonna enthroned, without the infant 
Saviour. (I cannot account for this unusual omission : was 
it for a mother who had lost her baby ?) Beside her kneels 
St. Catherine of Alexandria, crowned ; to the L, a most un- 
conventional Catherine of Siena (?). Behind the parapet stand 
St. Peter and St. Paul, the former only recognisable by the 
type of his features. Below, children are playing with fruit, 



1 68 FLORENCE [vi. 

and with a symbolical tree, perhaps that of the future Cross. 
As the figures have no haloes it is impossible to decide which 
is intended for the infant Saviour, but I take him to be the 
one playing with the tree, a natural symbol. To the extreme 
R are the two great plague-saints, St. Job, the patriarch, 
(almost peculiar to the Adriatic, and well seen in Bellini's 
great plague-picture from San Giobbe now in the Academy 
at Venice,) and St. Sebastian, pierced with arrows, proving 
this work to be most likely a votive plague-picture. In the 
background are other curious episodes, St. Antony the 
Hermit witfrthe Satyr, etc. The landscape, with its artificial 
rocks, is peculiar and poetical : it should be compared with 
Mantegna, Bellini's fellow-pupil and brother-in-law. But I 
half doubt the ascription. This strangely mystic picture is, 
if authentic, unique among Bellini's works ; whoever painted 
it, it represents an abortive attempt at that freer style of Sacra 
Conversazione which was later achieved in another form by 
Titian and his successors. (Some authorities attribute this 
work to Basaiti.) 

Above it, ^584 and ^584 bis, two good pictures by Cima 
da Conegliano, exhibiting well the Bellinesque type of 
Venetian Madonna, with her serene and queenly features, 
her strong column-like neck, and her peculiar head-dress. 
Notice the naked children, and the painting of the hands. 
The St. Peter with the keys is highly characteristic of Vene- 
tian treatment. This type of Madonna, best seen in Bellini 
at Venice, developes at last into Titian's ideal. Its evolution 
is interesting. The round-faced, strong-necked, matronly 
Venetian Madonna, extremely unlike any other Italian 
representation of Our Lady, seems to be ultimately derived 
from the school of Cologne, through Giovanni da Allemagna, 
a Rhenish artist who settled at Venice, and founded the 
school of the Vivarini. His type, altered and beautified by 
Bellini, was further modified by Titian and his successors, 
but always retained at Venice its matronly roundness and 
its fine neck. Elsewhere in Italy the Madonna, derived 
directly from the thin-faced fretful Byzantine type, is slight 
and girlish, no matter how varied in other particulars. 



VI.] THE UFFIZI, ETC 1 69 

^•583 bis. Fragmentary Carpaccio, of some Old Testament 
subject, (or of a Way to Calvary) where all the figures are 
most typical of their painter. 

579. Annunciation, of the School of Paolo Veronese : 
(Morelli attributes it to Zelotti.) The Madonna is one of 
Veronese's Venetian models. The action takes place in a 
vast loggia, of the school of Sansovino, where only the 
formal arrangement reminds one of the empty central colon- 
nade in Neri di Bicci's pictures. The Announcing Angel, 
with his annunciation lily in his hand, just descended from the 
sky, and raising his hand with a theatrical gesture, contrasts 
in every respect with earlier and more sacred treatments. 
He is just a plump Venetian figure, ostentatiously posing 
himself in what he considers a telling attitude. It is inter- 
esting to note here the retention of all the formal features, 
(such as the garden in the background, the priedieu, etc.,) 
side by side with the utter and lamentable transformation in 
the spirit of the scene. Note the Holy Ghost, descending in 
the midst in a vague glory of cherubs. You cannot properly 
understand such pictures as these unless you have first 
studied earlier representations of the same subjects. 

592. Sebastiano del Piombo. The Death of Adonis. A 
Renaissance mythological subject, treated in Sebastiano's 
earlier manner, almost wholly Venetian, but with tinges of 
Roman influence beginning to show in it. 

Just beyond, 578, pleasing portrait by Paris Bordone. 

575, Lorenzo Lotto's Holy Family, with St. Anne and the 
Madonna in a familiar attitude, (we have seen it before) and 
St. James and St. Jerome introduced in the background. It 
should be compared with the pair by Cima close by, to show 
the development in Venetian treatments of this subject. 

574. Polidoro Veneziano, the Madonna and Child with St. 
Francis, where the composition and the landscape back- 
ground are in the style initiated by Titian. 

Entrance wall, again, 572, Paolo Veronese's St. Catherine, 
the exact analogue of the Annunciation just noticed. 

Below it, 627, attributed to Sebastiano del Piombo (prob- 
ably Dosso Dossi.) Striking portrait of a General. 



170 FLORENCE [VI. 

The next room, the 

Second Hall of the Venetian School, 

has, L of the door, 590, a Madonna and Child with St. John, 
by Titian, in a mandorla of cherubs. A good picture in a 
transitional manner. 

Near it, 609, reduced copy of Titian's celebrated Battle of 
Cadore, (burnt in the fire at the Doge's Palace in 1577) a 
work noted for its life and movement, and its vigorous 
treatment. 

3390. Tintoretto, one of his finest portraits, full of character 
and dignity, and admirable in colour. 

613. Fine luminous portrait by Paris Bordone. 

The L wall has a fine portrait of Sansovino the sculptor, 
by Tintoretto : 636, Crucifixion, by Paolo Veronese, well ex- 
hibiting the later non-sacred conception of this subject : and 
"^633, a beautiful Madonna and Child, with the boy Baptist 
and St. Antony the Hermit, by Titian. The last is one of 
his most exquisite Madonnas. Above it, admirable cartoon 
by Bellini (or of his School) for a Pieta. 

End wall, 623, a fine Holy Family with St. Mary Mag- 
dalen by Palma Vecchio, (perhaps a copy) in which the face 
and head-dress of the Madonna and the face and hair of the 
Magdalen should be carefully compared with Cima and 
Titian. Rich and well-harmonised colour. 

Beneath it, 639, fine portrait of a Man with a Guitar by an 
unknown artist (Moretto ?) 

No. 625 exhibits Titian's most mundane style of Madonna, 
with a well-made Venetian young lady in the character of 
St. Catherine. The infant Christ has here attained the 
furthest height of Renaissance treatment, while Our Lady's 
face is frankly human and lady-like. Trace its evolution by 
the aid of the Palma above it, the Bellini, the Cima, etc. 

*63o. Giorgione's Judgment of Solomon, with fine land- 
scape background and striking figures. This and its com- 
panion piece are among the very few works attributed to 
this great Master which Morelli allows to be authentic. 
They were probably painted in his 17th or 18th year. The 



VI.] THE UFFIZI, ETC 171 

deep colour, the sparkling touch, the feeling for nature, and 
the fine drawing of the figure are there already. 

589. Paolo Veronese's Martyrdom of St. Justina. A 
Venetian lady, pallid from fear, with Moors and negroes as 
bystanders or executioners, and portraits of Venetian gentle- 
men as Roman officials, afraid of getting their fine robes 
spoiled by the spurting blood of the martyr. A most frank 
instance of a sacred subject distorted from its purpose, but 
pleasing in colour and large in treatment. Nice architec- 
ture. 

Above it, 628, Bonifazio's Last Supper. 

*62i. Giorgione, the Child Moses undergoing the ordeal 
of fire — a legendary subject. Compare with the companion 
piece. 

**622. Giorgione, splendid portrait of a Knight of Malta : 
a noble and authentic work, very much repainted. 

642. Good portrait by Moroni. 

R wall: 619. Palma Vecchio's *Judith, which strikes a 
key-note. It is very much injured. 618, Unfinished Ma- 
donna and Child, by Titian, a copy of his famous Pesaro 
Madonna at Venice. 617, Tintoretto's Marriage at Cana, 
a sketch for the great picture at Venice, with alterations. 
On the same wall, several good portraits. 

Entrance wall, by the door, Transfiguration by Savoldo, 
with the curious modern touch and tendency of that very 
original Lombard painter. Note the transformation of 
earlier conceptions. Above it, 646, Tintoretto's Sacrifice 
of Isaac. 

I do not enlarge upon many of these pictures, because the 
Venetian school is so much better studied in Venice than at 
Florence, where the series is but fragmentary. Those who 
have visited Venice will be able to put most of these works 
into their proper order in the evolution of Venetian painting. 
For those who have not, they must remain unplaced till 
another visit. 

Return to the Second Long Corridor, and take the first 
door to the L, which leads through a passage (with Portraits 
of Painters) to the 



172 FLORENCE [VI. 

Sala di Lorenzo Monaco. 

This room contains some of the finest and most interesting 
works of the Early Florentine period. L of the door, as 
you enter, ^1310, Gentile da Fabriano : four isolated saints, 
portions of an altar-piece, with the Madonna (who once was 
there) omitted. L, St. Mary Magdalen, with her alabaster 
box of ointment. Next to her, St. Nicolas of Bari, with his 
golden balls : on his robes are embroidered the Nativity, 
the Adoration of the Magi, the Flight into Egypt, the Mas- 
sacre of the Innocents, the Presentation in the Temple, and 
the Baptism of Christ. Note such subjects hereafter, em- 
broidered on the robes of other bishops. They often throw 
light on the personages represented. Then, St. John Bap- 
tist of Florence, as the ascetic saint, and St. George, with 
the red cross on his lance and shield, a striking figure. In 
the cuspidi above, other saints and angels. This picture 
comes from the church of St. Nicolas in Florence, and the 
Nicolas stood on the R hand of Our Lady. 

1302, beneath, Benozzi Gozzoli, Predella : (1) Marriage of 
St. Catherine of Alexandria, a charming girlish figure : (2) 
Pieta with St. John and the Magdalen : (3) St. Antony with 
his crutch and book, and St. Benedict holding a book and 
arrow. From Santa Croce. 

End wall, **I309, Don Lorenzo Monaco. Great altar- 
piece of the Coronation of the Virgin, in a magnificent 
tabernacle of three arches. Adequately to describe this 
noble picture, the only important work now remaining by 
Fra Angelico's master, would require many pages. I note 
a few points. Below, the circles of heaven, with stars and 
angels. Centre, once a reliquary, now gone, about which 
angels swing censers. 

In the group of saints under the L arch ; nearest the 
throne, St. John Baptist of Florence ; then, St. Peter (keys), 
and St. Benedict, scourge, (this being a Camaldoiese-Bene- 
dictine picture, painted for Don Lorenzo's own monastery 
of the Angeli at Florence :) above him, St. Stephen, with 
the stones on his head ; beside whom stands St. Paul, hold- 
ing his sword and his Epistle to the Romans ; then, St. 



VI.] THE UFFIZI, ETC 1 73 

James the Greater, (with a staff), St. Antony Abbot (crutch) 
and other saints less discernible, among whom I believe I 
detect St. Louis of France, and St. Louis of Toulouse. In the 
opposite arch ; on the extreme R, (to balance St. Benedict) 
in white robes, St. Romuald, founder of the Camaldolese 
order (a branch of the Benedictines :) next him, St. Andrew 
and St. John the Evangelist ; behind the last, St. Lawrence, 
with his gridiron, (Lorenzo's name saint ;) St. Bartholomew 
with his knife ; and St. Francis with his Franciscan robes 
and crucifix. Between the last two, a bishop, probably San 
Zanobi, as his mitre bears the Florentine lily. Between 
him and St. Francis is, I think, St. Vincent. The rest I 
cannot decipher. Observe the numerous angels, represent- 
ing the monastery. In the cusftidi, an Annunciation, and 
Christ blessing. Many of the figures on the frame may also 
be identified. L, King David, Noah with the ark, and other 
Old Testament characters. R, Daniel, Moses with the stone 
tables, and various prophets. The predella contains Bible 
scenes, and Stones from the Life of St. Benedict, (i) His 
death, where his disciple St. Maurus sees his soul ascend- 
ing to heaven : (2) his teaching in his monastery, with St. 
Maurus and the young monk who was tempted by the 
devil. (See the same subject in the very different St. Bene- 
dict series by Francesco di Giorgio Martini in the Scuola 
Toscana, 3 za Sala). (3) Nativity and (4) Adoration of the 
Magi : (5) St. Benedict in his cell with Benedictine saints, 
male and female : he sends out St, Maurus to rescue St. 
Placidus from drowning : (6) resuscitation of a novice, 
killed by a falling house at the Convent of Monte-Cassino. 
(The same scenes occur, with others, in Spinello Aretino's 
frescoes in the Sacristy at San Miniato.) Taking it all 
round, a noble work for its date, worth close study. 

1305. *Domenico Veneziano, Madonna and Child, en- 
throned, under a very peculiar canopy, with St. John Baptist, 
St. Francis (Bernard?), San Zanobi, and St. Lucy. (It was 
painted for the church of St. Lucy at Florence.) A hard 
picture, in very peculiar colouring, but with fine drawing 
and good characterisation. It is, in point of fact, an early 



174 FLORENCE [vi. 

attempt at oil=painting, the secret of which Domenico had 
learnt, and which he imparted to Andrea del Castagno, who 
murdered him in order that he alone might possess it. The 
colouring is clear and bright, but lacks harmony : it is any- 
thing but melting. The drawing and composition remind 
one of Andrea del Castagno. 

24. Lorenzo di Credi. Virgin adoring the Child. The 
infant exquisite. 

1286. ^Botticelli's Adoration of the Magi. One of the 
painter's finest sacred works, where all the conventional 
elements are retained, while a totally new meaning is given 
to the merest detail, such as the great ruined classical 
temple, and far more to the group of attendants on the 
Three Kings, all of whom are contemporary Florentine por- 
traits. Notice in the figure of the Young King, to the R, in 
white, (a portrait of Lorenzo de' Medici) how completely 
Botticelli has transformed and spiritualised the earlier con- 
ception. The portrait faces of all the Three Kings, indeed, 
are exquisitely beautiful : the eldest, seen in profile, is Cosimo 
Pater Patriae. Equally fine is the group of men of letters 
and statesmen to the R. Do not overlook the poetical Botti- 
cellian touch in the light gauze veil thrown over the Second 
King's gift, nor the fur 'on his dress, nor the dainty painting 
of the peacock on the ruin, nor the thoughtful face of the 
draped figure in yellow, to the extreme R, nor the haughty 
aristocratic mouths of the Medici to the L, nor indeed any- 
thing about this wonderful picture. Every face is signifi- 
cant, every fold of the drapery is beautiful and flowing. 
(From Santa Maria Novella.) 

1297. *Ghirlandajo's beautiful Madonna and Child, with 
adoring Angels, a work of his early manner. All the details 
of this picture are marvellous. Observe the architecture 
and decoration of the canopy, and the trees in the back- 
ground. Also, the carpet on the steps, and the vase of 
flowers, including Florentine lilies. One stage below the 
Madonna stand the two archangels, Michael with his 
sword, and the half- womanish Raphael with the box of oint- 
ment he carried to Tobit, — both exquisite figures in Ghir- 



VI.] THE UFFIZI, ETC 1 75 

landajo's most attractive manner. A step lower down kneel 
two sainted bishops ; to the R, San Zanobi (with the lily on 
his morse,) to the L, another, who is probably St. Just, 
because the picture comes from the church of San Giusto, 
near Florence. Note the figures on their robes. This is 
one of Ghirlandajo's best and most carefully painted panels. 

17. *Fra Angelico's famous tabernacle of the Madonna 
and Child, with St. John Baptist and St. Mark the 
Evangelist, patrons of Florence and of the Convent of San 
Marco. This is an early picture (1433), the drawing still 
very crude and rigid. It has a draped and somewhat vapid 
infant, Giottesque in type : and its Madonna disappoints : 
but round its frame are charming angels, continually copied. 
On the outside of the flaps, St. Peter and St. Mark again (or 
is it St. Jerome?) with the lion. Beneath it, 1294, its pre- 
della, relating to these same saints. In the L compartment, 
St. Peter preaches at Rome, while St. Mark the Evangelist 
takes down his words to write his gospel. Centre, Adora- 
tion of the Magi, where the action of one of the Kings and 
Joseph is very unusual. In the R compartment, Martyrdom 
of St. Mark, who is dragged by a rope at Alexandria, with 
the overthrow of his assailants by hail and lightning : in the 
background, Christ appearing to him in prison. (Painted 
for the Guild of Linen Merchants, whose patron was St. 
Mark.) 

R hand wall, 39, ^Botticelli's exquisite Birth of Venus, 
one of the most lovely embodiments of Renaissance feeling. 
It was painted, like the Primavera, which it closely resembles 
in tone and feeling, for Lorenzo de' Medici's villa at Castello. 
In the centre, Venus rises nude from a foaming sea, throned 
on a scallop shell. Her figure has a strange elusive beauty. 
Her long fair hair, her wistful face, her lithe ideal form, are 
wholly Botticellian. The picture, though pagan, is anything 
but classical : it has modern pessimism in it. As a Tuscan 
embodiment of the nude, again, compare this unspeakably 
graceful form with Lorenzo di Credi's merely human Venus 
in the Sala Seconda Toscana. The paleness of the flesh- 
tints only enhances the ideal feeling of the work. To the L, 



176 FLORENCE [VI. 

figures resembling the March and April of the Primavera 
scatter flowers around the goddess. To the R, a draped 
form, like the May of the Primavera, prepares to throw a 
brocaded mantle over Venus's shoulders. All the figures 
and draperies are instinct with Botticelli's peculiar flowing 
movement. This is a picture to linger before for hours. It 
embodies better than any other the pagan side of this 
earnest painter's nature. Yet its paganism is superficial : 
the ascetic ideal, the 1 profound moral yearning, are every- 
where apparent. 

The pictures in the remaining rooms, though in many 
cases valuable and interesting, do not call for explanation. 
The next halls to the left, as you continue along the Corridor, 
are devoted to Portraits of Painters (or what pass for such), 
chiefly by themselves, but in several instances of doubly 
doubtful authenticity — that is to say, it is not always certain 
that they are really the work of the artists whose names 
they bear, nor again that they represent the person they are 
said to portray. Among the most important (with this need- 
ful reservation) are Raphael, Perugino, Cranach, Holbein 
the Younger, Van der Heist, Van Dyck, Titian, and Rubens. 
Of later painters, the most often noticed is the charming if 
somewhat coquettish Mme. le Brun, familiar from copies ; 
the most noteworthy are Angelica Kaufmann, Ingres, Jules 
Breton, Watts, Millais, Puvis de Chavannes, Leighton, and 
Cabanel. The Hall of Baroccio, beyond, contains numer- 
ous good pictures of the 17th and 18th centuries, among 
which you may note fine works by Bronzino, Rubens, Guido, 
Velasquez, etc., outside the range of this Guide. At. the end 
of the Corridor are three rooms containing a magnificent 
Collection of Drawings by the great artists. Students of 
Morelli will know how to value these — but I do not presume 
to write for students of Morelli. 

B. Sculpture. 

[The Sculpture in the Ufflzi, being almost entirely classi- 
cal in origin, forms a subject of special study, outside the 



VI.] THE UFFIZI, ETC 177 

author's sphere, and scarcely possible of treatment within the 
narrow limits which can be given to it in this Guide. Those 
who wish to pursue it seriously should read the different 
questions up in Gardner's Handbook or Murray's History of 
Sculpture^ or else in Lubke or Flirt wangler. Moreover, 
most of the antiques in the Uffizi were freely restored and 
even rudely modernised during the 16th and 17th centuries, 
before the sanctity of an ancient work was thoroughly re- 
cognised. Many of them have, therefore, modern heads and 
arms. Others are provided with antique heads, which, 
however, do not always belong to them, violence having been 
done to neck and torso in order to effect an apparently 
natural junction. In origin, most of the statues and busts 
are Roman, or were found at Rome : they were brought here 
from the Villa Medici on the Pincian Hill by Leopoldo de' 
Medici in 1779. They have thus no organic connection with 
Florence. Nevertheless, I give a brief and quite un- 
authoritative account here of the most important works, 
leaving the reader to follow up the subject if he will in more 
specialist treatises. A good little book on plastic art in 
general is Marquand and Frothingham's History of 
Sculpture^ 

Staircase, last landing : L, Silenus with the infant Bacchus, 
in bronze, a Renaissance copy of the antique original at the 
Villa Pinciana at Rome. The same subject in marble exists 
in the Louvre. R, Bronze statue of Mars. Round them, 
portrait busts of the Medici, Apollo, etc. 

Entrance landing, 18, horse, rearing, supposed to belong 
to the group of Niobe (see later.) 24, 25, Two Molossian 
dogs. 19, A celebrated # Boar, of Greek workmanship, one 
of the finest specimens of antique animal sculpture. There 
is a good bronze copy by Pietro Tacca in the Mercato Nuovo. 
Behind it, and opposite, triumphal pillars. In the niches, 
Hadrian, Trajan, Augustus, and other Roman portrait 
statues. 

Enter the 

Long Corridor, and turn to the r. At the end, ^ 

M 



178 FLORENCE [VI. 

Hercules and the Centaur Nessus. Almost the entire figure 
of the Hercules is of Renaissance workmanship. So are the 
head and arms of the Centaur (restored by Giovanni da 
Bologna.) The antique portion, however, is of very fine 
workmanship. 

L wall : 39, *Fine Roman sarcophagus, representing the 
life of the person whose body it contained, from infancy to 
old age. I give some account of the reliefs, as a specimen. 
(If the subject interests you, follow up the other sarcophagi 
with the official guide.) R end, l portion, Birth of the 
Subject, represented as a child, with his mother and nurse. 
R portion, his Education; he reads a book with his tutor, 
while above are the Muses,— the tragic muse, as representing 
poetry ; another, holding a scroll, for history ; and a third, 
Urania, with globe and compasses, for mathematics and 
astronomy. (The official catalogue refers the last, I think 
less justly, to the tracing of the Subject's horoscope.) Face 
of the sarcophagus : R his Marriage, Hymen holding the 
torch, and Juno bringing husband and wife together. (The 
features of the bride would lead one to suppose that he 
married his grandmother, unless this figure is rather to be 
recognised as the bride's mother, with the bride to the R 
behind her, which the veil makes improbable.) The arrange- 
ment highly foreshadows the mediaeval Sposalizio. Centre, 
the Hero, whose features have now the character of a por- 
trait, offers a sacrifice before setting out on a warlike ex- 
pedition ; he is throwing incense on an altar, while an atten- 
dant smites a bull, and a boy plays a double flute beside 
him. In the background, a temple. L, as Conqueror, in a 
military cloak, attended by Victory with a palm, he shows 
mercy to the women and children of the vanquished. L end, 
he is represented Hunting, and, further to the L, as in Re- 
tirement in Old Age, now a bearded man, seated on a 
magisterial chair, while attendants remove his greaves and 
the rest of his armour, signifying a return from military to 
civic life. The whole design is very spirited. The running 
together of the separate scenes, without formal dividing lines, 
is highly characteristic of antique reliefs. 



VI.] THE UFFIZI, ETC 179 

R wall, opposite, busts of, 45, Julius and, *47, Augustus : 
several others about. Compare them for age and evolution 
of features. 

L wall, R and L of door, two more busts of Augustus. 
Note the features. 

R wall, 44, statue of Attis, erroneously restored as a bar- 
baric king. Head modern. 37, Pompeius. 

L wall, R and L of door, 46 *Fine bust of Livia, wife of 
Tiberius. 48, **Marcus Agrippa, builder of the Pantheon, 
with powerful reserved Etruscan features. 52, Athlete. Be- 
side it, 51, Pan and Olympus, the latter modern. Then, R 
and L, busts, of which 60 is a charming boy *Britannicus. 
56, Sarcophagus with L, Phaedra and Hippolytus : R, Hip- 
polytus hunting the boar ; in two compartments. L, 59, Ath- 
lete, with vase. R, 58, A wingless Victory, with palm and 
wreath. R, 62, Sarcophagus, with the Rape of the Leucip- 
pidae by Castor and Pollux. 

The busts which succeed are sufficiently named on the 
pedestals for the passing visitor. L, 67, Athlete : note the 
numerous variants. R, 66, Faun, wrongly restored as a 
Bacchus. Beyond it, 68, sarcophagus with the Labours of 
Hercules on the face, the Nemean lion, hydra, boar, stag, 
Augean stables, etc. Notice R, JJ, the foppish head of 
*Otho, with his frizzed wig, a fine piece of handicraft. L, 
good busts of Nero, Caligula, and Galba. R and L, 74, and 
75, Pomona and an Athlete. (Notice replicas.) L, 78, Sarco- 
phagus with Tritons and Nereids, accompanied by Cupids. 
In 85 and others, curious Roman head-dresses. No. 71 is a 
charming baby Nero. 81 and 82, Urania and Ariadne. 
Note as we pass here from the Julian and Claudian Caesars 
to the later Emperors the sudden loss of aristocratic dignity, 
now replaced by the coarse and vulgar features of Vitellius, 
or the mere bourgeois capacity of *Vespasian. Even Titus, 
though better, has not the fine type of the patrician Em- 
perors. 

R, 88, Ganymede with the eagle : contrast later at the 
Bargello with Cellini. 90, Vestal, in the act of throwing 
incense : a nobly modest figure. 95, Sarcophagus represent- 



l8o FLORENCE [vi. 

ing the Calydonian boar, with the huntress Atalanta : heads 
mostly modern. This boar should be compared with the 
one on the staircase. The story is confused : read up in any 
book of reference under head, Meleager. Near the door of 
theTribuna, much restored Muse, and good Hercules resting 
on his club. R and L of the door, two stages in the evolu- 
tion of *Trajan. 

Enter the Tribuna, which contains five celebrated 

statues, originally selected as the finest of the collection. 
As with the pictures, however, the choice reflects rather the 
taste of the beginning of this century than that of its end. 
These works are not in themselves of the first aesthetic im- 
portance, and many of them have been restored out of all 
recognition. Their vogue belonged to a day before the dis- 
covery of the finest Greek originals, (i) *Satyr playing on 
the cymbal, and pressing the kruftezion with his feet. Only 
the torso is antique. The clever head and face, the arms, 
and part of the feet were restored by a Renaissance sculptor, 
probably Michael Angelo. The expression is entirely that 
of Renaissance Italy, not of classical sculpture. The original 
has been doubtfully referred to the School of Praxiteles. (2) 
*The Wrestlers, believed to be a work of the School of Poly- 
cleitus. The heads, though probably antique, belong to 
other statues (of the School of Scopas,) and resemble those 
of the Children of Niobe. They are without expression, and 
their placidity is wholly out of accord with the action of the 
vigorous struggling bodies. Many parts of the limbs are 
modern, and have not been correctly restored in every in- 
stance. (3) *The famous and over-rated Medici Venus, 
found in Hadrian's Villa at Tivoli in 1680. The unpleasing 
pose of the L hand and of the R arm is due to the restorer. 
An inscription on the base (modern, but said to reproduce 
the original one) gives the authorship to one Cleomenes, of 
Athens. A sculptor of that name worked at Rome in the 
age of Augustus. (4) *The so-called Arrotino, a Scythian 
grinding his knife to flay Marsyas. The subject has been dis- 
covered by means of bas-reliefs and medals. (5) *The young 



VI.] THE UFFIZI, ETC l8l 

Apollo, said to be wholly antique. It is probably a copy 
from an original by Praxiteles, and is supposed to be the 
handicraft of the same sculptor as the Medici Venus. 

Return to the Long Corridor. L, Another Sarcophagus 
with the labours*of Hercules. Compare with the previous 
one. R and L, Polyhymnia and a Mercury. Beside the latter, 
two stages in the evolution of Hadrian. R, 103, pleasing 
bust of Plotina, wife of Trajan. L, 1 10, Bacchanalian scene 
(Triumph of Bacchus.) The god, to the L, is drawn by a 
male and female centaur. In front, Ariadne is similarly 
drawn by panthers. Chained slaves precede them : mcenads 
and fauns accompany. R, 112, Venus and Cupid. L, 113, 
Venus, compare in attitude with the Medici. Beyond it, Sar- 
cophagus with Cupids, and another with Triton and Nereids. 
At the end, R and L, two Apollos. 

Short Corridor. Charming little Cupids, of which 123 
is very pleasing. L, Bacchante, with a panther. Centre, 
*36, seated Roman portrait statue. Beyond, R and L, por- 
trait busts of the Antonine period, betraying the faint be- 
ginnings of the Decadence. 133, Minerva, somewhat rigid 
in attitude : archaic or archaistic. L, 138, the famous 
*Thorn-extractor, a graceful statue of a boy athlete : one of 
many copies. 

In 136, etc., the various stages of Marcus Aurelius, the 
philosopher emperor, are interestingly indicated. 

141, Beautiful candelabrum. 129, Sarcophagus with 
Phaethon falling into the Eridanus, represented by a river- 
god : close by, his sisters metamorphosed into poplars. 
145, Venus stooping at the bath, a graceful small statue, 
like the famous one in the Vatican. The head is modern. 
L, 2, Mars, in basalt. Opposite, 134, Venus with the sword. 
35, **Magnificent seated portrait statue of a Roman lady, 
known as Agrippina. The pose and draperies are admirable. 

Second Long Corridor. Busts of Emperors of the De- 
cadence, continuously losing both in character and crafts- 
manship. 155, and 156, Marsyas, the first restored by 
Donatello. R, 162, Nereid on a sea-horse. R, 169, Disco- 
bolus, probably a copy of the famous work of Myron. 



182 FLORENCE [vi. 

In the room to the L, Hall of Painters, is a fine antique 
marble vase of Greek workmanship, known as the Medici 
vase, and with admirable reliefs of the Sacrifice of Iphi- 
geneia, who may be seen prostrate below the statue of 
Artemis on the side next the windows. 

The next door to the L leads to the Hall of the Inscrip- 
tions, with numerous works of sculpture, many of them of 
inferior interest, but containing some masterpieces. R of 
the door is a pleasing *Venus Genetrix, covered with a 
light Coan robe. L, *A priestess, with exquisite drapery. 
On altars to R and L, Venus Urania and "^Mercury, the last 
very fine. In the centre, on an Egyptian base, *Bacchus 
and Ampelus, a beautiful group. Round the walls, inscrip- 
tions and reliefs, interesting mostly to the scholar. Near 
the entrance into the next room, 283, figure with oriental 
tinge, perhaps an Attis. 

The room beyond, Hall of the Hermaphrodite, has, 
318, a colossal head known as the *Dying Alexander, — in 
reality, a giant of the Pergamenian school. Round the walls 
are a series of **fine reliefs of the Augustan period, from 
the altar of the Augustan Peace, erected by the great em- 
peror in A.D. 12, on his final pacification of the Empire. They 
are sufficiently explained by their labels. These noble and 
graceful works exhibit the simple idealism of the age of 
Augustus. The one which represents the members of the 
Claudian family is particularly beautiful. In the centre of 
the room, 306, repetition of the favourite statue of the Her- 
maphrodite, the lower portion modern. 290, Seated statue 
of Ceres. 316, An Antinous, not one of the most pleasing 
representations of the subject. 308, Ganymede, so restored 
by Benvenuto Cellini as to be practically his own work. It 
would be beside my purpose to enter more fully into the 
contents of these rooms, but many of the sculptures (such 
as the superb head of Seneca or the colossal torso of a faun) 
deserve thorough examination at the hands of those who 
desire to understand classical sculpture. 

Long Corridor, again. 186, Wounded soldier, of the 
Pergamenian school. 



VI.] THE UFFIZI, ETC 1 83 

The Hall of Niobe, to the L, further on, contains seven- 
teen groups or single figures of **Niobe and her children, 
struck by the arrows of Artemis (some of them duplicates). 
These are believed to be good Roman copies from the Greek 
originals of the School of Scopas. The faces and figures of 
all should be compared with those of the Melian Aphrodite, 
(Venus of Milo,) in the Louvre. They seem to have origin- 
ally occupied the pediment of a temple, with the large 
standing figure of Niobe herself in the centre (placed here 
at the R hand end of the hall). The figure opposite is sup- 
posed to be that of their tutor or pedagogue. The other 
figures declined gradually in height from the centre on either 
side, and ended in prostrate forms, like the one opposite the 
middle window. 

Long Corridor again. More portrait busts of the Deca- 
dence. Several good Roman altars with inscriptions, inferior 
statues, etc. Near the end, 236, fine sacrificial altar of the 
age of Augustus, dedicated to his Lares, with the date in- 
scribed by means of the consular years — 13th of Augustus, 
1st of M. Plautus Silvanus. At the end, altered copy of the 
Laocoon, an antique in the Vatican at Rome, of the Rho- 
dian School : this variant is by Baccio Bandinelli, who 
considered that he had improved upon the original. Later 
critics have not endorsed his opinion. But the original 
itself belongs to a late School of Greek sculpture which 
sacrificed plastic repose to violent action and dramatic 
movement. 



VII 
THE PITTI PALACE 

T r I "*HIRD in importance among the collections of 
L JL Florence must be reckoned that of the Pitti 
Palace. Indeed, it is probable that most people would 
even now regard it as first, or at least second, in rank, owing 
to the large number of masterpieces of the High Renaissance 
which it contains ; but its comparative poverty in works of 
the increasingly popular masters of the Early Renaissance 
will doubtless make it take a less exalted place in the 
estimation of the coming generation. 

The Palazzo in which it is housed is itself historical. 
Designed by Brunelleschi, the architect of the Cathedral 
dome, it was begun about 1440 for Luca Pitti, the head of 
the great house who formed at that date the chief rivals of 
the Medici. Luca conspired, however, in 1466 against 
Piero de' Medici (son of Cosimo Pater Patriae and father of 
Lorenzo :) and, his conspiracy failing, the building remained 
unfinished till 1549. It then came into the hands of the 
Medici ; and Cosimo I., completing the central block, made 
it thenceforth his principal residence. It has ever since 
ranked as the chief Grand Ducal and Royal Palace in 
Florence. The existing building includes several additions 
to Brunelleschi's design, which will be pointed out as you 
stand before it] 

Cross the picturesque Ponte Vecchio, with its jewellers' 
shops, topped by the connecting passage from the Uffizi, 
and continue along the straight street in front till you come 
on the L to a huge prison-like building, which crowns a 
slight eminence. That is the Pitti Palace. At first sight, 



VII.] THE PITTI PALACE 185 

you will probably find it just sombre and repulsive ; after 
many visits, its massive masonry, its dignified architecture, 
its fine proportions will slowly grow upon you. The central 
portion alone, in three stories, represents Brunelleschi's 
work ; notice the huge blocks of which it is built, true 
Etruscan in their solidity, only worked at the edge so as to 
give an increased effect of vastness and ruggedness. Origin- 
ally, as in most other castle-like Florentine palaces, there 
were no windows at all on the ground floor (save the little 
square openings above :) and the fagade must then have 
looked even gloomier than now ; but under the Medici 
Grand Dukes, Bartolommeo Ammanati boldly introduced 
the round-arched windows below, — a feat which would seem 
almost impossible in so solid a building without endangering 
the stability of the entire superstructure. The wings in 
line with the centre were added in the 17th century : those 
at an angle to it, running out towards the street, not till the 
1 8th. 

The entrance to the Picture Gallery is in the wing to 
the L, through an unimposing doorway, Umbrellas and 
sticks must be left below. Open daily, one franc ; free on 
Sundays. 

Mount the shabby stairs, and pass through the still 
shabbier gallery passage into the too magnificent and 
gorgeously decorated suite of apartments. 

We enter first the 

Hall of the Iliad. 
(The names written over the doors are those of the next 
rooms, to which they give access). Here, more even than 
elsewhere, recollect that I do not pretend to dispense 
critical opinions. 

L of the door, as you enter, 236, Bassano. Christ in the 
house of Mary and Martha : Lazarus carving. In this late 
Venetian picture, painted in the High Renaissance style, 
we have still a faint reminiscence of the traditional gesture 
of Martha, shown long before in the Giovanni da Milano at 
Santa Croce. Otherwise, the picture is just a Venetian 
domestic interior of its date, largely painted for the sake of 



186 FLORENCE [vn. 

its buxom fair-haired Magdalen and its picturesque acces- 
sories. Observe the transformed cruciform halo. 

Above it, ^235, Excellent Holy Family by Rubens, 
(probably a copy.) Of course frankly Flemish and 16th 
century. Note how the infant St. John of Florence with his 
lamb is now transferred to northern art through the influence 
of Raphael. 

232, by Sustermans, calls itself a Holy Family. In 
reality, good portraits of uninteresting contemporaries. 

233. Pontormo's St. Antony is equally transformed from 
his earlier type. 

Over the door, affected, long-necked Madonna, with 
sprawling Child, by Parmigianino. 

Beyond the door, *229, good portrait of a lady in a red 
dress with green sleeves, known as La Gravida, and 
ascribed to Raphael. Above it, 228, half-length of Christ, 
by Titian, of his early period. 

225, * Andrea del Sarto's Assumption is a noble example 
of his beautiful colouring. The Madonna in clouds, above, 
in a fine luminous glory, with her ring of baby angels, is a 
charming portrait of the artist's wife, Lucrezia, whom you 
will meet again in this Gallery. Below, the Apostles look 
up in wonder : one gazes into the empty sarcophagus : there 
are just twelve of them. Conspicuous among them is St. 
Thomas, in a red and blue costume, by the steps of the 
sepulchre, holding up his hands with some surviving remi- 
niscence of his earlier position, as if in expectation of the 
Sacra Cintola. (See the reliefs in the Cathedral and in Or 
San Michele, and the pictures in the Uffizi and Belle Arti.) 
In the foreground kneel two later spectator saints,— Nicolas 
of Bari, with his golden balls, and St. Margaret of Cortona, 
(whence it comes), the Franciscan. Such a picture as this 
can only fully be understood by the light cast by earlier 
paintings. 

Beyond again, 224, 223, 222, three good portraits by 
Ridolfo Ghirlandajo ; a Flemish artist, (perhaps Quintin 
Matsys ;) and Bonifacio. 

Over the next door, a Christ in a glory, with saints, by 



VII.] THE PITTI PALACE 187 

Annibale Carracci. Very characteristic of this painter's 
composite manner. There are touches in it of Correggio 
and of many others. 

219. Perugino, Madonna adoring the Child. A beautiful 
picture. 

216. *Paolo Veronese, Portrait of Daniele Barbaro. 

End wall, Several good portraits by Paolo Veronese, 
Titian, and others. In 214, Baroccio, (a copy from Cor- 
reggio :) observe the complete transformation of the earlier 
conceptions of the Madonna and Child, St. Jerome and 
St. Catherine, and adoring angels. 212, Good portrait of 
Cosimo I. by Bronzino. 

208.* Fra Bartolommeo. A splendid and unusually 
pleasing example of his Enthroned Madonnas, with saints 
and angels. Our Lady sits under a canopy, most charac- 
teristic of this painter. The child Christ is placing a ring 
on the finger of St. Catherine of Siena. To the L, the most 
conspicuous figure is that of St. George, in attitude remini- 
scent of Donatello : (often called St. Michael, but he bears a 
martyr's palm.) To the R, stands the painter's namesake, 
St. Bartholomew, with his knife. Among the other saints, 
one can vaguely recognise Dominic with his lily, St. Thomas 
Aquinas, and perhaps Santa Reparata of Florence, in red 
and green. The angels in the foreground are highly 
characteristic. So is the distribution of light and shade, 
and the varied composition. 

207. *Fine portrait of a goldsmith, by Ridolfo Ghir- 
landajo, formerly attributed to Leonardo — of whom it is 
quite worthy. 

Over the door, 202, Biliverti. The angel receiving the 
gifts of Tobias and Tobit. Is chiefly interesting as exhibit- 
ing the later theatrical manner. 

201. **Titian's noble portrait of Cardinal Ippolito de' 
Medici, in Hungarian military costume, after his campaign 
against the Turks. A study in red. 

Above it, 200, copy (or replica ?) of a portrait by Titian of 
Philip II of Spain. 

R wall, 199. Granacci. Madonna and Child, with infant 



188 FLORENCE [vn. 

St. John. A good example of the later development of this 
Florentine subject. 

Above it, 198, portrait by Velasquez. Over the door, 196, 
Paolo Veronese, St. Benedict and saints. 195, Giacomo 
Francia, portrait of a man, admirable in its simple severity 
and excellent painting. 

191. Andrea del Sarto. Another Assumption of the 
Madonna, unfinished, closely resembling that opposite, and 
doubtless ordered on the strength of it. The two should be 
compared together. Note the similar position and costume 
of the St. Thomas, with his foot on the base of the sarco- 
phagus. The kneeling saints in the foreground are, how- 
ever, here two of the Apostles, and the background is 
different. The upward-straining faces of the spectators are 
full of reality. (One of the kneeling saints, in red cloak and 
blue vest, is Andrea's own portrait, in the character of St. 
Andrew.) 

190. Sustermans. Excellent portrait of a Prince of Den- 
mark. 

Over the door, 186, Paolo Veronese. Baptism of Christ. 
We again observe the Venetian faces, and the complete 
transformation of earlier motives, such as the angel with the 
towel. Recollect what Baptisms used to be in the 14th 
century. The pretty Venetian in the rear is meant for St. 
Catherine. 

Near the window, 184, Andrea del Sarto's fine portrait of 
himself, injured. 

185. **Titian. (Early work, attributed to Giorgione.) 
Musical concert, three fine portraits of men playing instru- 
ments, the middle one full of character, the hands and 
drapery especially admirable. The central head alone re- 
tains much of the primitive touch ; the other two have been 
repainted 'with disastrous effect till all individuality is gone 
from them. 

In 237, by Rosso Rossi, the total transformation of the 
traditional St. Sebastian and other saints is very note- 
worthy. Every room contains many fine works which I do 
not notice. 



VII.] THE PITTI PALACE 189 

Enter the 

Sala di Saturno. 

R of the door, as you enter, Pontormo, the Santi Coronati 
(see Mrs. Jameson). 

Over the door, **Sebastiano del Piombo. The martyr- 
dom of St. Agatha, whose breasts are just being seared by 
the executioners. A magnificent treatment of the nude, 
with the splendid colour of this Venetian painter, still visible 
after he had come under the influence of Michael Angelo's 
style of drawing and composition. Every detail of this 
noble work is worthy of close attention, in spite of the in- 
tense painfulness of the subject. Its flesh tints are splendid. 
The St. Agatha is Giorgionesque ; but the executioners are 
entirely in the style of Michael Angelo. This seems to me 
Sebastiano's masterpiece. It was painted for a cardinal of 
St. Agatha. 

178. **Raphael. Madonna del Granduca, of his early 
Florentine period. The most exquisite picture by this 
master in Florence, and perhaps, with the exception of the 
Sposalizio at Milan, in the whole world. You cannot look 
too long at it. Simple, pure, and beautiful ; reminiscent of 
Perugino, whose type it embodies, but clearer in colour, 
daintier, softer. It has even a touch of his earliest Urbino 
manner. 

**6 1 and ^59. Raphael. Portraits of Angiolo and Mad- 
dalena Doni, also of his early Florentine period. 61 must 
rank among his finest portraits. It is full of thought and 
earnestness. The hands, hair, and expression are admir- 
able ; they recall Francia. In 59, the young Umbrian 
painter, coming fresh to Florence from the school of Peru- 
gino, shows distinct evidences of being influenced by 
Leonardo's Mona Lisa (now in the Louvre,) especially in 
the face and the painting of the soft and luxurious hands. 
These two portraits, again, you cannot look at too carefully. 
Do not overlook the Umbrian landscape. 

*I72, Andrea del Sarto. Group of saints, absurdly called 
the Disputa sulla Trinita. To the R, St. Augustin (holding 
a crozier) is speaking with rapt eloquence : beside him mild 



190 FLORENCE [VII. 

St. Lawrence listens : L, St. Francis, then St. Peter Martyr 
(or Thomas Aquinas?) consulting the Scriptures: in the 
foreground, kneeling, are St. Sebastian and the Magdalen 
with her box of ointment. Probably a plague picture. In 
the background, a Trinity. Admirable both as a bit of 
colour, and as an example of the way Andrea could give 
life to these chance assemblages. 

*I74, Raphael's Vision of Ezekiel. God the Father, 
enthroned on the mystic beasts of the Evangelists, and 
adored by the angel of St. Matthew. This work is full of 
the influence of Michael Angelo. 

*i7i. Raphael's portrait of Cardinal Inghirami, of his 
Roman period. A triumph of art over an unpicturesque 
subject with a bad squint. Raphael has succeeded in giving 
the intellectual and powerful character of the face, while the 
statesmanlike hands are rendered in the most masterful 
manner. The reds are marvellously managed. 

165. The Madonna del Baldacchino, attributed to Raphael, 
and in part by him : begun in Florence before he went to 
Rome, and left unfinished. The composition strongly recalls 
Fra Bartolommeo, under whose influence Raphael was then 
passing. The Child, however, is extremely Raphaelesque. 
The Madonna is of his later Florentine manner. The 
throne is in the style of the Frate. To the L stand St. Peter 
with the keys, and St. Bruno (or I think rather St. Bernard, 
reading, as when Our Lady appeared to him.) To the R, 
St. James with his staff, and St. Augustin with the De 
Civitate Dei. At the foot of the throne are two dainty little 
angels, very like Fra Bartolommeo. How much is Raphael's 
own is uncertain. The flying angels at least were added 
afterwards, the last being copied from Raphael's own fresco 
in Santa Maria della Pace at Rome. Later still, one Cassana 
glazed it over, added the top of the canopy, and gave it a 
false finish. The Saint Augustin probably belongs to the 
finisher. 

167, Giulio Romano, Apollo and the Muses, dancing. A 
feeble work, based on Mantegna's group in the Louvre, and 
spoilt in the stealing. 



VII.] THE PITTI PALACE 191 

164. * Perugino. Entombment. One of his finest works. 
Yet even in this late composition, observe how the two 
saints near the R — Nicodemus and another to whom he is 
showing the three nails (now almost faded) — recall the ex- 
actly similar gestures in the great Fra Angelico in the Belle 
Arti, as well as the Giottino in the Uffizi (compare them.) 
The women beautifully painted. The head-dresses, the 
poses of the heads, the treatment of the dead nude, the 
somewhat vague and vap ; d expressions of the very abstract 
spectators, are all redolent of Perugino. Good Umbrian 
landscape background. 

Above it, 163, an Annunciation by Andrea del Sarto. 
Full of light and charming colour, but very typical of the 
change which came over later Renaissance conceptions of 
this subject. The angel is deliciously soft and boyish. 

159. * Fra Bartolommeo. The Risen Christ, enthroned in 
the midst of the four Evangelists. Compare this picture 
with the Madonna del Baldacchino. The Evangelists, alike 
in figure, gesture, and robes, foreshadow the Raphael car- 
toons and show whence Raphael derived many of his con- 
ceptions. The drapery of the Christ is masterly. 

R wall, * 158, Raphael's fine portrait of Cardinal Bib- 
biena, a work full of his developed Roman manner : but 
considered a copy. 

157. Titian. A Bacchanal, copy, in the same style as his 
Bacchus and Ariadne in the National Gallery. 

153. Odious Carlo Dolci of Santa Rosa. 

150. * Van Dyck. Excellent portrait of Charles land 
Henrietta Maria. The faces are rendered with all Van 
Dyck's courtly grace, and the lace is (as always with this 
painter) a marvel of workmanship. You can see the very 
stitches that are not there ; the illusion is only dispelled by 
close inspection. Charles's face bears the character of the 
man — chivalrous and opinionated, false and yet honest. 

151. * Raphael's Madonna della Sedia, of his Roman 
period. The most popular but not the most beautiful of his 
Madonnas. In form, this is a Madonna with the infant St. 
John. Our Lady is represented by a comely and graceful 



192 FLORENCE [vii. 

but by no means spiritual and somewhat insipid Roman 
contadina. The child is a dainty well-fed human baby, very 
charming, but not divine. The head-dress and shawl are 
pretty and prettily painted. Pure maternal love is the key- 
note. As art, this is a fine work, but it does not appeal to 
the soul like the Madonna del Granduca opposite it. Go 
frequently from one to the other if you would understand 
the difference between the great painter's Florentine and 
Roman manners. Compare also the face and neck of the 
Granduca with the Perugino in the same room, and the 
infant Christ in the Sedia with the baby angels in Fra 
Bartolommeo's Risen Christ. They throw much light upon 
Raphael's evolution. The soft tints and evasive drawing of 
the infant St. John of Florence, on the other hand, show his 
increase in skill over the definiteness of the Granduca. But 
as he gained in knowledge, he lost in purity. 

The room contains many other good works to which I do 
not call attention. 

Sala di Giove. 

R of the door, 18, *Titian's Bella, a beautiful and beauti- 
fully painted portrait of a calmly aristocratic Venetian lady 
(with rich waving hair) which should be compared with the 
Caterina Cornaro in the Uffizi. The dress is charming. 
This is one of Titian's most pleasing portraits in Florence. 
The slashed sleeves are rendered with consummate skill. 
The colouring is delicious. 

Above it, 139. *A charming Holy Family by Rubens, 
where the Christ and St. John recall in beauty the portrait 
of his own baby at Munich. This is a splendid bit of colour 
and drawing in Rubens's best smaller style. 

L of the door ; 64. **Fra Bartolommeo. Deposition. 
A noble and attractive work, with an exquisite Mater 
Dolorosa, and a fine figure of the Magdalen embracing the 
feet of Christ. The dead Saviour is admirably studied. 
The meaningless face of the St. John, however, somewhat 
mars the effect of the picture. 

On the same wall are two interesting Paolo Veroneses, 
and a fine portrait by Tintoretto. 



VII.] THE PITTI PALACE 1 93 

End wall, two excellent Morones. 

125, *Fra Bartolommeo's St. Mark, in a niche resembling 
those beneath the dome of the cathedral. (Observe in 
architecture these Renaissance niches.) This is a splendid 
colossal work, noble in form, and admirable in drapery, but 
a little too grandiose. It again shows whence Raphael 
derived many of his figures of Evangelists and Apostles. 
The picture was painted for the choir of San Marco, the 
church of the painter's own monastery. 

Over the door, ^124, a beautiful Annunciation by Andrea 
del Sarto. Note here, as a formal point, that the positions 
of the Madonna and angel, to R and L, are reversed 
from familiar usage. Yet observe even in this work the 
survival of a formal barrier (the prie-dieu) between Gabriel 
and Our Lady. The shrinking attitude of the Madonna, 
with her finger in her open book, is most charming, and the 
colour is of Andrea's finest. In the background, we get a 
reminiscence of the traditional loggia, as we do also of 
several other early elements. From the top of the balcony, 
David beholds Bathsheba bathing (somewhat publicly,) a 
mere excuse for the Renaissance love of the nude. The two 
additional angels in the background are unusual. Note the 
dove descending in a glory on the R. 

123. Luminous Andrea del Sarto of the glorified Ma- 
donna, with saints. Not quite so beautiful as the last. 
This is a Vallombrosan picture, and the saints in the fore- 
ground form a familiar Vallombrosan group, San Bernardo 
degli Uberti, St. George, (or San Fedele ?) San Giovanni 
Gualberto, and St. Catherine, whose broken wheel is just 
visible in the foreground. The colouring is not so fine as is 
usual with Andrea : but the picture has had hard treatment. 
Lafenestre attributes the upper portion alone to Andrea. 

Beyond it, more good Morones. 

118. Andrea del Sarto's portrait of himself and his wife, 
whose face you will often recognise in other works from his 
pencil. A beautiful picture. 

176. Hateful Domenichino of St. Mary Magdalen. La- 
chrymose and affected in the worst style of the decadence. 

N 



194 FLORENCE [vil. 

113. Rosso. The Three Fates, long attributed to 
Michael Angelo. 

no. *Lorenzo Lotto. The Three Ages of Man. Three 
splendid portraits, admirable in their feeling and colouring. 

109. Paris Bordone. Portrait of a lady. He has 
painted several stages of the same face elsewhere, I think. 

The dark wall between the windows has a tolerable 
Rubens and various works of the decadence. The 

Sala di Marte 

contains, L of the door, Guercino's St. Sebastian, and 
Cigoli's Magdalen, chiefly interesting for comparison with 
earlier conceptions. 

Over the door, 97, Andrea del Sarto. Another Annunci- 
ation, with St. Michael in attendance, holding his scales. 
Not so pleasing as previous ones. 

Beyond the door, 92. *Titian. The young man with the 
glove. A very noble portrait. 

Above it, Allori's Sacrifice of Abraham, after Sodoma. 

94. Raphael's Holy Family, known as the Madonna dell' 
Impannata. This is a Madonna with a young St. John 
Baptist who closely resembles an infant Bacchus. St. 
Anne has beautiful draperies, and a fine strong face, well 
contrasted in line and colour with the fresh young skin of a 
girlish saint behind her. But the whole picture fails to 
please like his earlier works. 

91. Ludicrous St. Peter weeping, by Carlo Dolci. His 
grief moves laughter. 

96. *Allori. Judith with the head of Holofernes. One of 
the noblest and most successful works of the decadence. A 
proud fine figure. Judith's strong dark face is flushed with 
passion and with her strange night's work. She looks a 
woman capable of such a deed — but not such stooping. 
Her brocade is painted with rare carefulness for its epoch. 

90. Cigoli. Ecce Homo. Mannered. Other mannered 
works of the same period I do not notice. 

Above it, 89, a pleasing Bonifacio (the second) of the Rest 
in the Flight into Egypt. Also attributed to Paris Bordone. 



VII.] THE PITT I PALACE 1 95 

2>% and 87. Andrea del Sarto. The story of Joseph. 
Confused and not very pleasing. 

Above, 86, Rubens, the Effects of War, an allegorical 
picture closely resembling his Marie de Medicis series, from 
the Luxembourg, now in the Louvre. 

85. **Rubens. Portrait of himselt and his brother, and 
Lipsius and Grotius. One of his finest portrait pieces. 
Note the admirable contrast between the faces, expressions, 
and gestures of the two jurists and philosophers on the one 
hand, and of the artists and diplomatists on the other. 
They represent respectively scholars and men of the world, 
thinkers and actors. Look long at the rich red sensuous 
lips and wistful faces of the artistic grand signiors, beside 
the firmer mouths, thoughtful eyes and brows, and scholarly 
hands of the two philosophers. These are likenesses that 
interpret the sitters. The bust of Seneca at the back, the 
Dutch tulips, the landscape, the fur, the curtain, the books, 
the dog, the table-cover, all are worth notice. Do not hurry 
away from this picture. It is deep— going right into the 
nature of the men. 

Above it, 84. A fine Bonifacio (or Palma Vecchio), full 
of the spirit of the later school of Venice. 

R wall, S3. "^Tintoretto (or Titian). Excellent portrait 
ot Luigi Cornaro. 

81. ** Andrea del Sarto. Madonna and Child, with St. 
Elizabeth and the Baptist. This is one of his most ex- 
quisite and finely-coloured works. His soft melting tints 
are nowhere better exemplified. 

Above it, 80. Titian. Fine portrait of the anatomist 
Vesalius, not well preserved. 

82. *Van Dyck. Noble and characteristic portrait of 
Cardinal Bentivoglio. A gentleman to the finger ends : 
restrained, diplomatic. 

79. The best of the replicas of Raphael's portrait of Pope 
Julius II, though not now considered the original. A fine 
realization of the stern and hard old man. Face, beard, 
hands, red cap, and folds of the white robe, all painted as 
well as Raphael could paint them. Another portrait that 
shows a man's spirit. 



196 FLORENCE [vii. 

75. Guido Carracci. Chiefly interesting as a late ex- 
ample of the subject of the Penitent Magdalen in the Desert 
lifted to behold the Beatific Vision. How altered ! 

Window wall. Several late pictures, worth notice, but 
not calling for explanation. 

Sala <T Apollo. 

R of the door, 67. *Titian. Magdalen. This is intended 
nominally as a representation of the Penitent in the Desert 
of Provence. But 'tis a far cry from the nameless Byzantine 
in the Belle Arti, or even from the haggard Donatello of the 
Baptistery. Titian simply paints a beautiful nude Venetian 
woman, with copious golden hair, covering her just enough 
to salve her modesty, but not to conceal her luscious and 
beautiful figure. The alabaster pot of ointment by her side 
serves merely to tell us this is meant for a Magdalen. 
Obviously, she has not been fasting. Regarded as a work 
of art, this is a fine picture of a fine model. Face, hair, 
and arms are exquisitely rendered. It belongs to the same 
family group in Titian's work as the Flora, the Caterina 
Cornaro, and the Bella — vivid realizations of an exuberant 
type of female beauty. Compare it also with the recumbent 
Venus in the Uffizi. 

Above it, 66. Andrea del Sarto, by himself. A fine 
portrait with a wistful expression. Still higher, a good 
Tintoretto. 

63. Murillo. Madonna and Child. I am too much out of 
sympathy with this picture to venture upon making any 
comment upon it. 

60. **Rembrandt's Portrait of Himself. A miracle of 
light and shade, where the glow on the face and on the 
corslet, as well as the hair and chain of office, are master- 
pieces of handicraft. 

58. * Andrea del Sarto. Fine Deposition, which may be 
instructively compared with the Fra Bartolommeo. 

57. Copy by Giulio Romano of Raphael's Madonna della 
Lucertola at Madrid. Interesting for comparison with 
Raphael's other Madonnas in this gallery. This wall also 
contains two or three other noteworthy pictures. 



VII.] THE PITTI PALACE 197 

End wall, 55. Baroccio. Quaint little picture of a baby 
prince of Urbino. More interesting than are often the 
works of this insipid painter. 

Above it, 54. *Good portrait by Titian of Pietro Aretino, 
who does not look as bad as he was in reality ; broadly 
painted with masterful decision. Note here also 52, by 
Pordenone, a fine example of the later Venetian manner. I 
pass over the Guercino, etc. 49, by Tiberio Tito, is a 
pretty baby, not without interest. 

The R wall has several tolerable late pictures, of which 
40, Allori's Hospitality of St. Julian, possesses a certain 
value. For the legend, see Mrs. Jameson. Beneath it are 
three fine half-lengths. 

44. A hard but tolerably good portrait of the school of 
Francia. 43. *A charming portrait by Franciabigio. 42. 
A delicate Magdalen by Perugino, in his later manner, 
probably an old copy. 

40, ** Raphael's portrait of Pope Leo X, with two car- 
dinals, a work which should be compared with his Cardinal 
Inghirami and his Julius II. It represents Leo in his 
character of art-patron. The picture shows a high point of 
technical skill, but is far less interesting than Raphael's 
earlier manner. The blending and harmonising of the reds 
is excellent. The fat epicure of a Pope is examining a 
manuscript with his celebrated magnifying glass. The car- 
dinals are Giulio de' Medici and Ludovico de' Rossi. Giulio 
Romano partly executed it. 

38. Attributed to Palma Vecchio. Christ and the dis- 
ciples at Emmaus. A most interesting example of the 
transitional period in Venetian art, with recollections of 
Bellini and foreshadowings, or more likely reminiscences, 
of Titian. 

Window wall, works of the decadence. 
Sala di Venere. 

L of door, 20, * Albert Diirer's Adam, with Eve opposite. 
Another interesting example of the rigid northern nude, 
which should be compared by photographs with those in the 
Uffizi. It marks advance, and is worthy of the great mas- 



198 FLORENCE [vil. 

ter, but is still sadly lacking in grace and ideality. Perhaps 
a copy from the original at Madrid. 

Over the door, 19. Spagnoletto's unpleasing Flaying of 
St. Bartholomew. 

140. Leonardo (or his school). Portrait, which should be 
compared with Raphael's Maddalena Doni, as well as with 
the Mona Lisa at the Louvre. Look closely at the hands. 
Note also the landscape background. 

17. Titian. Madonna and Child, with St. Catherine and 
the youthful Baptist. An admirable example of Titian's 
treatment of these subjects. 

76. * Fine murky Rembrandt of an old man : gloomily 
glorious. Above it, 15, a good Salvator Rosa, for those who 
like him. 

End wall. Works of the decadence : also, 14, a land- 
scape by Rubens, hay-making. 15, M. Rosselli's Triumph 
of David, a good theatrical work of the late period. 11, 
Francesco Bassano's St. Catherine rescued by the angel, 
full of the late Venetian feeling. Compare it with the Titian 
in the same room. 9, * another landscape by Rubens, with 
small figures of Ulysses and Nausicaa. 

R wall. Good pictures by various late artists. Above 
them, a sea piece by Salvator Rosa. 

Over the door, 3, Tintoretto, Venus and Vulcan, with 
Cupid. 1, Diirer's Eve, one of the finest embodiments of 
the northern nude, admirable in its way, but still lacking the 
ideality of Italian treatment. Compare with the Adam 
opposite and with others in the Ufflzi. Again, perhaps a 
copy. 

Window wall. Several works of the Decadence, among 
which 23, Rustici's death of the Magdalen, is funny as repre- 
senting a late baroque conception of the Penitent in the 
Desert visited by the angel. 

Now return to the Sala dell' Iliade, the first you entered. 
The door on your R leads to the 

Stanza dell' Educazione di Giove, 
which contains chiefly works of the 17th century. The most 
interesting are portraits near the window by Bronzino. 270, 



VII.] THE PITTI PALACE 199 

Guido Reni's too famous Cleopatra, is an affected and man- 
nered picture. 

272. * Andrea del Sarto's Young St. John Baptist. Once 
a fine work, full of later Renaissance spirit, and still admir- 
able in its colouring, (though spoilt by restorers) the red 
robe in the foreground being even now splendid, while the 
flesh-tints are ruined. Like the work on the same subject 
by Raphael in the Tribuna, it departs entirely from the 
earlier ascetic tradition, and represents the patron saint of 
Florence in the form of a beautiful semi-nude boy, finely 
proportioned and delicately nurtured. This is in point of 
fact a well-nourished noble youth, with nothing about him 
of the penitent or the ascetic. The camel's hair robe and 
the reed cross are mere vague pretences. The hand that 
holds the bowl is admirably modelled. 

258, Good portrait by Tiberio Tinelli. 262, Henri II of 
France, attributed to Clouet, but surely Flemish (?). 255, 
Tolerable portrait by Van der Heist, not up to his usual 
level. Above them, good Holy Families, 256 and 254, by 
Fra Bartolommeo and Palma Vecchio (?). 252, Scholar of 
Holbein, portrait of the Due de Guise. 245, Fine, but 
rather uninteresting and badly used portrait, attributed to 
Raphael, though of doubtful authenticity, and known as 
La Velata. It represents the same model who reappears in 
the Dresden Madonna, and in the Magdalen of the St. 
Cecilia at Bologna, without the radiance or the rapt eyes. 
*243, Velasquez, good portrait of Philip IV of Spain. 
Many other pictures in this room are deserving of notice, 
but none of them call for that sort of explanation which is 
the chief object of the present Guide. 

The small room to the L, the 

Stanza della Stufa, 
has unimportant frescoes of the Ages of Gold, Silver, Brass, 
and Iron, by Pietro da Cortona, and two bronze statues of 
Cain and Abel, after Dupre. The door to the R leads to 
the Bathroom, a florid little apartment, cold, cheerless, and 
sadly over-decorated. 

Beyond it lies the 



200 FLORENCE [vil. 

Stanza d' Ulisse, 

with works mostly of the later age, few of which are im- 
portant. Entrance wall : r of the door, 300, unusually fine 
portrait of an Old Man by Salvator Rosa. 303 and 304 are 
also good pictures of their school. 

End wall. 305, by Allori, shows the last stage of the 
Young St. John in the Desert. 307, Andrea del Sarto, the 
Madonna and Child, enthroned on clouds, with various 
saints, in his latest and least pleasing style, and spoilt by 
the restorer. In the foreground kneels St. John Baptist, 
balanced by the Magdalen with her box of ointment. Behind 
these two stand, L, St. Lawrence and St. Job (Paul the 
Hermit ? Hilarion ?), R, St. Sebastian and St. Roch. (The 
combination of plague-saints makes me think the nude saint 
is Job.) The picture has been sadly ill-used, and much of 
the colour in the drapery is quite unworthy of Andrea. The 
Madonna and Child, however, are well finished. 311, 
Ascribed to Titian, more probably Dosso Dossi, good por- 
trait of a Duke of Ferrara. Replica ot one at Modena. 

L wall. 13 13, Tintoretto, Madonna and Child, marked 
by his peculiar smoky colouring and contrasted radiance. 
318, Lanfranchi, St. Margaret beholding a Vision, theatrical 
and mannered. 321, A very unpleasing Ecce Homo by 
Carlo Dolci, foreshadowing later cheap ecclesiastical decor- 
ation. Still more unpleasing is 325, Madonna and Child. 
Above, 324, Van Dyck's (or Rubens's) portrait of the Duke 
of Buckingham, instinct with the man's vain and ineffective 
character, scarcely concealed by flattery of a patron. 

326. Paris Bordone's fine copy of Titian's portrait of Pope 
Paul III, at Naples,— a harmony in red, very effectively 
rendered. The feeble old man with his half-open mouth and 
his sprawling hands sits alive before us. Note those hands 
well. The veins and sinews show through them in a most 
lifelike manner. 

The 

Stanza di Prometeo, 

contains several excellent works of the earlier period. 

Entrance wall, l of door, 371, # good hard profile portrait, 



m.] THE PITTI PALACE 201 

.n the Lombard manner, of Beatrice d'Este, attributed to the 
Umbrian, Piero della Francesca. 376, *Lorenzo Costa, good 
portrait of a Duke of Bentivoglio. Over the door, 338, 
School of Bellini, Madonna with St. James and St. Catherine, 
an excellent example of the style leading up to Titian. 341, 
Pinturicchio, Adoration of the Magi, where faces, figures, 
head-dresses, and composition are all highly characteristic 
of this strongly-marked and individualised Umbrian painter, 
(best seen in the Library at Siena.) 340, School of Perugino, 
(probably by the master himself,) Madonna and Child, with 
two ill-marked female saints. 343, **Fra Filippo Lippi, 
beautiful round Madonna and Child, with the pomegranate. 
The face of Our Lady is that of Lucrezia Buti, whom the 
painter married. In the background are two other episodes ; 
L, the Birth of the Virgin, with St. Anne in bed, and servants 
bringing in the usual objects ; R, the Meeting of Joachim 
and Anna at the Golden Gate. The round-faced boy to the 
extreme R is highly characteristic of Fra Filippo's manner ; 
so is the infant Christ. This is one of his best panel pictures, 
the colour brighter and warmer in tone than usual. 339, 
Good portrait by Tintoretto. 342, Unknown 15th cent. 
Florentine Madonna and Child, with the infant St. John, 
accompanied by two angels. 346, Zucchero, interesting 
chiefly as a late and wholly altered Magdalen, nude save for 
her own hair, lifted from the mouth of the Sainte Baume by 
angels, to behold the Beatific Vision, (incorrectly described in 
this and in many other cases as the Assumption of the Mag- 
dalen.) To the R in the foreground may be seen the cave, with 
crucifix, skull, and other properties. Above it, 345, excel- 
lent Holy Family by Granacci, in one of his happier moments. 
Higher still, pleasing portrait by Sustermans of a Medici 
baby. Over the door, *347, School of Filippino Lippi, Vir- 
gin adoring the Child, with the infant St. John Baptist, and 
attendant angels, many of them with the familiar Medici 
features. In the background, marble balustrade with lizard 
and good hard landscape. The picture looks very like a 
Filippino, and recalls the St. Bernard of the Badia. 

End wall* 388, Filippino Lippi, Death of Lucretia, the 



202 FLORENCE [VII. 

story told in three episodes ; not very successful. 349, Holy 
Family, after Filippino Lippi. Above it, 348, School of 
Botticelli, Madonna and Child, with infant St. John of Flor- 
ence, and two attendant angels. One bears a sword, the 
other a lily ; whence they probably represent St. Michael 
and St. Gabriel. The baby is ill-drawn and lifeless. St. 
John's arms still betray the ascetic tendency. Beneath, 353, 
Botticelli, portrait called La Bella Simonetta, a literal and 
unflattering picture, hard and dry, and with little of 
Botticelli's usual spirituality. It is well painted in its archaic 
way, but most honest spectators will confess it gives them 
little pleasure. The ascription to Botticelli is more than 
doubtful, and the face is not that of Giuliano de' Medici's 
famous mistress. 355, Luca Signorelli, Holy Family, with 
St. Catherine, well drawn and incisive, but deficient in colour- 
ing"- 354) School of Lorenzo di Credi, Holy Family, 
characteristic in composition, but lacking the delicate touch 
of the master. 357, Botticelli, Madonna giving the Child to 
the infant St. John to kiss, a typically Botticellian (experi- 
mental) deviation from the ordinary models. The boy 
Baptist is very charming : the infant Christ over-fed and 
sleepy. 365. Mariotto Albertinelli, Holy Family and angel, 
in his simpler early-Florentine manner, with little trace of 
Fra Bartolommeo's influence. 358, Ghirlandajo's Adoration 
of the Magi, a partial replica of his great picture in the 
Uffizi, with different background and many figures omitted. 
The workmanship is not so fine as that of the original. This 
wall contains other good Madonnas by Garofalo, Boateri, 
and a nameless Florentine of the school of Lippi. 

L wall. 372, Attributed (most doubtfully) to Andrea del 
Castagno, portrait. 369, Excellent Ecce Homo by Pollaiolo. 
Over the door, 373, 15th cent. Dominican Florentine altar- 
piece, attributed (not very probably) to Fra Angelico ; 
centre, Madonna and Child : L, St. John Baptist of Flor- 
ence and St. Dominic : R, St. Peter Martyr with his bleed- 
ing head, and St. Thomas Aquinas with his open book and 
rays. In the cuspidi, little Annunciation. Behind, an 
episode of St. Dominic Preaching, and the martyrdom of 



VII.] THE PITTI PALACE 203 

St. Peter Martyr. 377, Ecce Homo, by Fra Bartolommeo. 

Pleasing as colour, but deficient in sentiment. 379, Pon- 

tormo, Adoration of the Magi, only interesting for its almost 

Flemish grotesqueness of characterisation. It has a flavour 

of Teniers. 

Window wall, 384, Pollaiolo's St. Sebastian, a study of 

the mere anatomical nude, well drawn but repulsive, harsh, 

and uninteresting : the model a bad one. As compared 

with Perugino and Sodoma in the same subject, it shows the 

temperament of the purely scientific Renaissance artist. 

Several other works in this room are well worth study, 

but need no explanation, and can be easily discovered by the 

reader for himself. 

The 

Stanza del Poccetti, 

beyond, does not contain anything that calls for notice in 
this book. A long corridor leads hence, through Florentine 
mosaics and miniatures, (some of them excellent,) to the 

Stanza della Giustizia, 
which contains admirable portraits, and a few good works ot 
the late period. Hondekoeter's cocks and hens, however, 
explain themselves. Scarselino's Birth of a Noble Infant is 
interesting as recalling earlier types of the Birth of the Vir- 
gin. Vasari's St. Jerome similarly shows us the last stage 
in the treatment of that familiar subject. Guido's St. Eliza- 
beth is rather more pleasing than most of his work. Some 
of the portraits by Bronzino and Allori are also attractive 
in their way. The (second) Bonifazio's Finding of Christ in 
the Temple shows a complete breaking away from earlier 
tradition. Sir Peter Lely's Cromwell, sent as a present to 
the Grand Duke Ferdinand II by the Protector, will interest 
English visitors. I leave the other works, and the cabinet 
in the centre, to the taste of the reader. 

The 

Stanza di Flora 

contains chiefly late works, of which I shall only mention 
Van Dyck's Repose on the Flight into Egypt. The merit 
of the rest can be appreciated, as good or bad, at the spec- 



204 FLORENCE [vil. 

tator's own valuation. I will say the same of the last room, 
the Sala dei Putti. It is given over to Salvator Rosa and 
the Carracci. 



The Boboli Gardens, behind the Pitti Palace, afford 
several striking and characteristic views of Florence. 



VIII 
THE BARGELLO 

V r I ^HE Chief Magistrate of Florence in very early times 
{ X was tne Podesta. This office was created in 1207, 
and the judicial functions were entrusted to the officer so 
named, who (owing to the mutual jealousy of the internal 
factions) had to be a foreigner, elected for six months, or 
later for a year, like mayors elsewhere. Even after the 
Guilds had introduced their commercial oligarchical system, 
the Podesta still retained his judicial position. In 1255 
(earlier than the building of the Palazzo Vecchio) the town 
began to erect a castle for its magistrate, known at first as 
the Palazzo del Podesta, but handed over later to the chiet 
of the police under the Medici Grand Dukes, from whom it 
derives its usual modern name of the Bargello. The exist- 
ing Government has fitted up the interior as a museum of 
plastic and minor arts ; and it is therefore now officially 
described as the Regio Museo Nazionale. But nobody ever 
calls it by any other name save that of the Bargello. It is 
one of the sights which is absolutely imperative.] 

Take the Via del Proconsolo, from the Piazza del Duomo. 
On the L as you descend is the Bargello. Stand opposite 
and examine the facade and tower. The portion that faces 
you is the original building (restored.) The part at the back 
is a little later. Open daily from 10 to 4 ; free on Sundays. 
It takes at least two days to see it cursorily. 

The entrance hall, a fine specimen of a vaulted secular 
interior of its age, contains suits of armour, helmets, etc., 
the designs on many of which are worthy of notice. Most 
of them belonged to the Medici family. Also firearms, 



206 FLORENCE [vill. 

swords, and other weapons, among which notice a splendid 
cannon, cast in 1638 by Cosimo Cenni, with the Head of 
Medusa, the Florentine lion (the Marzocco,) the Medici 
balls, and other devices. Last cabinet, helmet and shield of 
Francois I er of France, of Milanese workmanship. Round 
the walls are a series of escutcheons. The room to the L, 
beneath the tower, contains a continuation of the same 
collection. 

Enter the courtyard, with its central well and fine open 
loggia, a remarkable specimen of secular architecture of the 
13th cent. Note the round arches and the columns of the 
pillars. Also the escutcheons of former Podestas which 
surround the court, and the effective triumphal arch on the 
staircase. Nowhere else in Florence do we feel ourselves 
so entirely transported to the city and age of Dante. The 
arms of the quarters of the city in the loggia have the names 
of the wards to which they belong inscribed below them. 
Note for future guidance : you will see them elsewhere. The 
best view of the picturesque quadrangle, with the beautiful 
loggia on the first floor, is obtained from the corner opposite 
as you enter. 

The works of sculpture (some of them second-rate) which 
surround the court are sufficiently described on their official 
labels. Notice those by Niccolo di Piero Lamberti and by 
Piero di Giovanni Tedesco, from Or San Michele, as throw- 
ing light on Donatello's beginnings. Also, Giovanni da 
Bologna's Architecture, on a fine Renaissance base with 
Medici balls and feathers : and a Penitent Magdalen in 
the desert, where the sense of form of the 16th cent, has 
triumphed over the earlier asceticism which dominated the 
subject. Baccio Bandinelli's Adam and Eve have the feeble- 
ness and vapidity which pursue that ambitious but ineffective 
sculptor's work. Michael Angelo's *Dying Adonis, however, 
is a fine though confused piece of sculpture, with a noble 
face, and well conceived hands. Giovanni da Bologna's 
"^Virtue triumphant over Vice shows the French tinge of feel- 
ing and the usual merits and failings of its powerful but 
theatrical artist. Michael Angelo's * Victory, unfinished as 



VIII.] THE BARGELLO 207 

usual, is one of the figures intended for the Tomb of Julius 
II, of which the so-called Fettered Slaves in the Louvre 
were also portions. Between the two last is a handsome 
Renaissance doorway, with symbols of St. Mark and the 
familiar Venetian inscription : " Peace to thee, Mark my 
Evangelist." 

The door opposite the entrance to the court gives access to 
two small rooms on the ground floor, with fine fragments 
of sculpture, mostly mediaeval in the first, and sufficiently ex- 
plained by their labels. First Room, over the door, a noble 
Gothic canopy, with Christ and saints, originally on the 
faqade of Santa Maria Novella. Notice to the L the arms of 
the wool-weavers, the lamb of St. John of Florence. Centre, 
90, Bacchus, perhaps by Giovanni dell' Opera. To the R of 
it, a fine Renaissance washhand fountain, above which are 
good figures by Simone Talenti. 50, 51, 52, a fine Madonna, 
and Saints Peter and Paul, with their symbols, brought here 
from the old Porta Romana. Close to them, two mar- 
zocchi, or Florentine lions. I do not call attention to most 
of the works in this room because they are sufficiently 
described by their labels : but almost all should be noted 
and examined, particularly those of the School of Andrea 
Pisano. 

The Second Room, L wall, contains a beautiful series of 
^reliefs, gravely injured, narrating the life and miracles of 
San Giovanni Gualberto, founder of the Vallombrosans, by 
Benedetto da Rovezzano. (They come from the tomb of the 
Saint in the monastery of San Salvi, and were recklessly 
destroyed by imperial soldiers during the siege of 1530.) 
93, San Giovanni Gualberto delivers a monk from a demon. 
95, The miracle of San Pietro Igneo, passing through the 
fire. 101, San Giovanni Gualberto on his bier, Faith and 
Charity at the sides, mourning. 104, "^Translation of his 
relics from Passignano, with cure of the sick as they pass 
(an epileptic boy particularly fine.) 107, Heretics attack the 
monks of San Salvi. These exquisite works, Benedetto's 
best, (1506) deserve the closest attention. (See Perkins's 
Tuscan Sculptors^ and Mrs. Jameson's Mo?iasiic Orders.) 



208 FLORENCE [vill. 

End wall, a noble "^mantelpiece, also by Benedetto da 
Rovezzano, classical in style, representing apparently Apollo, 
Pluto, and Jupiter (?) This is also one of the most exquisite 
works of Renaissance sculpture. L of it, Michael Angelo's 
unfinished *Bust of Brutus : the inscription explains that he 
had not the heart to finish it after Florence lost her freedom : 
but then, he seldom finished anything. R, Bandinelli's insipid 
Cosimo I. 

R wall, 123, beautiful **Madonna and Child by Michael 
Angelo, an early work ; not a sacred face, but calm, 
matronly, and beautiful, like a high-born mother. Several 
reliefs by Pierino da Vinci, Leonardo's nephew. 124, 
Masque of a Satyr, attributed without due cause to Michael 
Angelo : ugly and repulsive, though not without cleverness. 
128, "^Michael Angelo's Bacchus, the pose of the figure not 
entirely worthy of the great sculptor : but the head and 
some other parts most masterly. 133, Beautiful Madonna 
and Child, with infant St. John Baptist of Florence, by 
Andrea Ferrucci. Beside it, 131, "^beautiful tabernacle, of 
perfect proportions and workmanship. Beneath it, good 
reduction of Michael Angelo's Leda. 134, Antonio Rossel- 
lino (?) lovely ^tabernacle for the elements, with adoring 
angels. All the Renaissance decorative work in this room 
deserves the closest attention, especially the two exquisite 
*niches, on either side of the doorway, by Benedetto da 
Rovezzano. Baccio Bandinelli's portrait relief, 136, has rare 
merit for this vapid sculptor. 

Go out into the courtyard, and mount the stairs, noticing 

as you go the numerous escutcheons and memorial tablets 

of city officials and others ; pass under the triumphal arch : 

and enter the loggia on the first floor, with its vaulted roof 

spangled with Florentine lilies. This gallery (the Verone) 

contains a collection of bells, many of them with fine reliefs 

and interesting or amusing inscriptions. 

Enter the 

First Hall, 

fitted up as a museum of the works ot Donatello. Many 

of the best originals in Florence are here collected : beside 



VIII.] THE BARGELLO 209 

them are placed for comparison casts from Donatello's work 
in other cities, such as the equestrian statue of Gattamelata 
at Padua, etc. Among the originals, the most important 
and interesting are : L wall, the Marzocco, or lion holding 
the Florentine lily, which long stood in front of the Palazzo 
Vecchio, but is now replaced by a copy. 

Centre of the room, L : *the David, in bronze, a fine but 
rather early work, when the master had not yet arrived at 
his final conceptions of plastic beauty. The pose is a little 
too self-conscious ; the young victor places his foot too 
proudly on the head of Goliath ; and the shepherd's hat 
shades the face ungracefully : but the nude is good, and the 
work is still most original and charming. Note how this 
subject of David colours Tuscan sculpture of the Renais- 
sance. Fine relief on Goliath's helmet — representing Victory. 
R, an Amorino, also in bronze, with the open mouth and 
pose of the hands so characteristic of the sculptor. 

Wall opposite the entrance ; beautiful bronze bust of a 
young man, with exquisite cameo of Victory. Near it, 
** charming relief of an open-mouthed young St. John the 
Baptist. Close by, ^coloured bust of Niccolo da Uzzano, 
powerful, but unpleasantly realistic. Then, the penitent St. 
John Baptist in the desert, a work which should be com- 
pared with the wooden Magdalen of the same type in the 
Baptistery. Recollect that here Donatello is not aiming at 
pure plastic effect, — certainly not at beauty — but is 
endeavouring to realise an ascetic ideal in accordance with 
the needs and aims of sculpture. In both these St. Johns, 
the parted lips are highly characteristic. Compare with the 
plaster casts of two others, at the base of the Gattamelata 
statue ; also with the older type by the first R window. End 
wall, the original **St. George, from Or San Michele, now 
replaced by a copy. This is a very noble realisation of the 
soldier saint, the ideal of chivalry, remarkable for its mingled 
valour and purity. Observe how brave and bold, and yet 
how modest. In this work, Donatello first knew himself. 
Beneath, is a relief of St. George and the Dragon, with the 
exposed princess, a charming figure, looking on in the back- 

o 



210 FLORENCE [VIII. 

ground. This last little work may well be compared with 
the Michel Colombe in the Louvre, as representative of 
Italian as opposed to French feeling. Compare it also with 
the plaster cast beneath the Deposition. 

Entrance wall, David with the head of Goliath, in 
marble— a fine early work whose face should be compared 
with that of the St. George. In the attitude, which is grace- 
ful, there is a little too much of conscious jauntiness. Later, 
Donatello attains to more modest courage. Close by, bust 
of Genevra Cavalcanti, in bronze, a successful rendering of 
an unattractive personage. All the casts and originals in 
this room should be carefully compared with originals else- 
where in Florence. Nowhere else in the world does so 
good an opportunity exist for becoming acquainted with the 
style and spirit of this prince of early Renaissance sculpture. 
Compare particularly all the St. Johns, young and old : and 
note that some of the former are the boy ascetic in the 
desert, while others are just the joyous young patron of 
Florence. These two boyish figures, St. John Baptist and 
David, lie at the root of Renaissance sculpture in Tus- 
cany. 

The Second Hall, very dark, contains chiefly tapestries. 

The 

Third Hall, 

once the Audience Chamber of the Podesta, has a collection 
of bronzes, pictures, and small decorative objects (the 
Carrand Collection) impossible to enumerate in close detail, 
though many of them deserve the greatest attention. It 
was given by a French benefactor, and is quite as largely 
French as Florentine. Entrance wall, fragment of the 
School of Taddeo Gaddi, with St. Michel the Archangel 
and St. Catherine. Above it, a quaint Judgment of Paris. 
Higher still, early example of the Florentine group of the 
Madonna with St John the Baptist. The opposite side of 
the door has several interesting pictures, (Coronation of the 
Virgin, Christ and the Magdalen, Decollation of a Saint, 
and a charming triptych with Madonna and Child and 
Florentine saints, reminiscent or prophetic of Filippino 



vili.] THE BARGELLO 211 

Lippi.) The Noli me tangere, St. Veronica's towel, and 
others, are well worth not:: 

The first case contains bronzes of the Renaissance and 
earlier, including, end, a grotesque Old French St. George 
and the Dragon, with other quaint equestrian figures. On 
the side towards the window, beautiful Renaissance bronzes : 
Hercules and Antaeus, Plenty, Pomona, a Satyr, mostly 
by Riccio, a beautiful Amorino, an affected 16th cent. 
Venetian Fortuna, a fine Mars, Hercules, etc. I do not 
enumerate these, or the works on the window wall opposite 
them, (among which note a very quaint Marriage of St. 
Catherine,) but all deserve detailed inspection. R wall, 
further on, exquisite Flemish panels, Annunciation, Adora- 
tion of the Magi, Presentation, etc., etc Among them, 
Hugo Van der Goes, a good Madonna. Next case, centre, 
early mosaics, Limoges, and otherwise. Fine crosier 648 ; 
649, admirable San Marziale ; 650, reliquary, with the 
Maries at the Sepulchre. 654, Another, with saints and 
angels. 667, The four Evangelists with their symbols. 
Good crucifix, Madonnas, etc. I leave these to their labels. 
At the opposite side, fine German Flagellation. All need 
close inspection. The third case contains exquisite ivories, 
which must be similarly examined by the spectator in detail. 
L side, 175, quaint group of Mercury and Polymela, with 
Venis and Adonis. 164, Triumph of Love. Beneath, 
combs, etc., very curious : identify their subjects. 154, 
Quaint Meeting of Joachim and Anna at the Golden Gate, 
with Stem of Jesse ; French art of the 15th cent 155, 
Characteristic Burgundian St. Catherine, trampling on her 
persecutor, of a type which will be familiar to visitors to the 
Louvre. 97 and 98, Delicious Lombard 14th cent, diptych, 
with the Nativity, Annunciation, Visitation, Adoration of 
the Magi, and their visit to Herod. Note this closely. 
Beside it, 123, charming French casket, subjects amply 
described on labels. 99, French diptych, with scenes from 
the life of Christ, all obvious except the top R hand compart- 
ment, which has the common French subject of the Last 
Judgment, with Resurrection beneath and Christ enthroned 



212 FL ORENCE [vill. 

above between angels holding the instruments of the Passion, 
with the Madonna and St. John (or Sainte Genevieve?) 
kneeling on either side of him : this is exactly like the 
tympanum of Notre Dame and the Sainte Chapelle. 95 
and 96, Similar early French diptych, including Coronation 
of the Virgin. Notice the regal and affected French type 
of Madonna. I mention a few only of these beautiful works, 
but the visitor should inspect and identify each separately. 
Opposite side, 60 and 61, early French chessmen, kings. 26, 
Italo-Byzantine casket, with antique subjects. Above it, 
93, quaint French Annunciation. 91 and 92, French 
Madonnas. The type will be familiar again to visitors to 
Cluny and the Louvre. Beneath it, 42, exquisite early 
German altar- front, nth century. 24, Beautiful Byzantine 
8th century figure of the Empress Irene. 19, 20, 21, Roman 
works of the intermediate period between the classical and 
the Byzantine or Romanesque art. All these should be 
closely studied : the Adam in Paradise, naming the beasts, 
is extremely luminous. Inspect also the little panels beneath 
them. 35, The Maries at the Sepulchre, is particularly 
interesting. In some of these works, such as 35, 37, and 
38, we get early forms of subjects afterwards convention- 
alised by Christian art. Search in these for the springs of 
later motives. 

The Last Case contains arms and armour. 

The door at the end has an early (14th cent.) coloured 
relief of the Madonna and Child, adored by a Podesta, in 
the lunette; — the Authorities of Florence bowing to Religion. 
It gives access to Hall Four, the 

Ancient Chapel, 
dedicated to St. Mary Magdalen. The walls are covered 
with sadly damaged frescoes, now scarcely discernible. End 
wall, (with window representing St. John the Baptist,) 
fresco of Paradise, attributed to Giotto (more likely a pupil), 
like Andrea Orcagna's fresco of the same scene in the 
Strozzi chapel at Santa Maria Novella. This is interesting 
to most people chiefly because of the (over-restored) figure 
of Dante to the R of the window below. But the work itself 



viil] THE BARGELLO 213 

has also high artistic value. The R wall has frescoes from 
the Life of St. Mary Magdalen, the dedicatory saint. Only 
a few figures of the frescoes can now be recognised. But the 
series once ran thus, and can still be identified on bright 
days, beginning at the top to the L. (1) The Magdalen at 
the feast in the house of Levi : (2) Raising of Lazarus : (3) 
entirely gone, Magdalen at the Crucifixion : (4) the Maries 
at the Sepulchre : (5) Christ and the Magdalen in the 
Garden : (6) the Angel feeding the Magdalen in the Cave in 
Provence : (7) St. Maximin bringing her the last sacrament: 
(8) the death of the Magdalen. (I can find no trace of the 
sister subject, St. Mary of Egypt, mentioned in many 
Guide-books : the opposite wall has the miracle of the 
Merchant of Marseilles, as at Santa Croce.) 

L of the empty space once occupied by the altar, St. 
Jerome in the desert. R of it, Madonna and Child, by a 
scholar of Ghirlandajo. The case between contains fine 
articles of Church furniture, including a Last Supper, with 
Christ washing the feet of Peter. The room also contains 
other interesting objects : Madonna and Child in painted 
wood by Dello Delli (?) : Crucifix with the lamb of St. John 
Baptist in the centre at the back ; and a few old mosaics. 

The small room beyond the chapel has an early fresco 
of the Madonna and Child, a good vaulted roof, and several 
interesting bits of early needlework, the subjects on which 
should be carefully noted. On the entrance wall, the angels 
lifting the Magdalen in the desert. 

The next room, 

Fifth Hall, 
to the R, contains on the end wall (avoid it) some ghastly 
illustrations of the plague, and other works of a similar 
character, in coloured wax. The centre case has ivories 
of later dates, some of them excellent in execution, but 
uninteresting for the most part in design and treatment. 
The best are two St. Sebastians, probably votive plague- 
offerings. In the centre is a fine early triptych, with saints 
(all easily recognised) and scenes from the Passion. A few 
early works at the further end of the case also deserve close 



214 FLORENCE [vill. 

attention. Centre case, glass, which examine individually. 
To the R, Limoges enamels. To the L, nautilus shells, 
mounted as jugs and vases. Next case, ivory works, 
oriental and other, which are merely ingenious and nothing 
more. The taste of most of them is execrable. Last case, 
fine silver work. Observe in all these rooms the fine 
ceilings, frescoes, and internal decorations. As at Cluny, 
but even more so, the building itself is here one of the 
best parts of the museum. 

The next room, 

Sixth Hall, 
contains bronzes, reliefs, and statues of the early Renais- 
sance. All these deserve the closest attention. R of the 
door, St. John Baptist in the Desert, by Michelozzo, an early 
example of the comparative abandonment of the merely as- 
cetic ideal. Compare and bear in mind all these various 
Baptists : their importance is fundamental. R of the door, 
fine bas-relief by Bertoldo, of a battle between Romans and 
barbarians, inspired by the antique, and full of classical feel- 
ing. The Victories and nude figures to R and L are especi- 
ally admirable. Above it, good bust of the Duke of Urbino. 
Beneath, *Reliquary of St. Protus and St. Hyacinthus, by 
Lorenzo Ghiberti ; fine flying angels. The case, beyond, 
contains fine imitation antique and Renaissance statuettes. 
In the centre of the room, **Verrocchio's beautiful bronze 
David with the head of Goliath, one of its sculptor's master- 
pieces. The head foreshadows Leonardo : the curls are 
delicious : the easy assured pose may be compared or con- 
trasted with the Donatello and the Michael Angelo. The 
thin veined arms, however, (perhaps of an apprentice model) 
are evidently influenced by the ascetic mediaeval ideal : com- 
pare the figures in Verrocchio's (painted) Baptism of Christ 
in the Belle Arti. The whole attitude of this David, in spite 
of its meagre limbs, is striking and graceful. This work 
should be looked at in contrast with Donatello on the one 
hand and with Michael Angelo and Benvenuto Cellini on the 
other. 

End wall **two gilt bronze panels, the sacrifice of Isaac 



VIII.] THE BARGELLO 21 5 

by *Brunelleschi and **Ghiberti respectively. These were 
the panels which were sent in by the two artists as speci- ' 
mens of their handiwork in the competition for the Second 
Gates of the Baptistery in 1402. The superiority of Ghiberti's 
design in composition and plastic calm is very apparent. 
At the same time, the elements of conventional treatment 
common to the two scenes are worth close comparison. The 
positions of most of the actors and accessories are fairly con- 
stant. Observe the quiet strength and repose of Ghiberti, 
contrasted with the bustle and strain of Brunelleschi. One 
is like a sculptor's work, the other like an engineer's. 

Beneath these, Lorenzo Vecchietta's fine *recumbent statue 
for a tomb, in which a successful attempt is made to put 
greater naturalness into this type of monument. Above, 
good Crucifixion by Bertoldo. 

Wall to the R, Crucifixion, by Donatello, partly gilt. All 

the attitudes in this admirable scene are worth careful notice. 

Observe at how much earlier a date sculpture succeeded in 

emancipating itself from conventional trammels than did 

painting. No contemporary picture has the freedom and 

ease of the Roman soldier nailing the feet of the Impenitent 

Thief ; nor of the long-haired Magdalen in the foreground to 

the L ; nor of the semi-nude figure with shield beyond it ; 

nor of St. Longinus (distinguished by his halo) with his hand 

to his mouth, just above the last-mentioned figure. Study 

closely this admirable relief. It will well repay you. 

The 

Seventh Hall 

beyond, contains the work in bronze of the High Renais- 
sance up to the point where it verges towards the Decadence. 
Among so many noble works as are contained in this room, 
it is difficult to make a selection : besides, very few of them 
need explanation. Note, however, the Ganymede and the 
eagle, attributed to Benvenuto Cellini, with its admirable 
ease of poise, and its perfect equilibrium. (Compare 
with similar antiques in the Uffizi.) Also the Antoninus 
Pius, which is a successful 15th century imitation of the 
antique. Look at Daniele da Volterra's *Bust of Michael 



216 FLORENCE [VIII. 

Angelo ; and, close beside it, Sansovino's Christ in Glory. 
In a glass case is Cellini's sketch in bronze for the Perseus 
of the Loggia dei Lanzi, differing slightly in detail from the 
model finally adopted. Beside it, admirably executed but not 
pleasing bust of Cosimo I, a subject to try the greatest sculp- 
tor. Beyond, again, *wax model of the Perseus, differing 
much more markedly from the form at last adopted. Further 
on, **Cellini's original relief for the base of the Perseus, the 
Release of Andromeda, now replaced in the Loggia by a 
cast : a most beautiful piece of consummate metal-work. 
Close by, fine Venus by Giovanni da Bologna. Also, end 
wall, his Galatea, a successful figure. All the small works 
on this wail should be carefully noted. In the centre of the 
room, Giovanni da Bologna's celebrated ^Mercury, too often 
copied, perhaps the lightest work in bronze ever executed. 
Its poise is wonderful. It seems to soar naturally. But re- 
productions have vulgarised it. Fine bronze candelabra and 
other works. I omit many fine specimens of sculpture, such 
as the copy of the too famous Farnese bull. Do not over- 
look the handsome wooden ceiling. 

The stairs to the upper floor are in Room V, with the 
late ivories. Go back to it. 

The first apartment at which we arrive, 
Room I, 
has a fine timber roof, and is decorated with several original 
frescoes, those on the end wall, L, being attributed to the 
ever-dubious Giottino. That to the L, a fragment, probably 
forms part of a Joachim expelled from the Temple (?) To 
the R, Meeting of Joachim and Anna at the Golden Gate, — 
only Joachim and the two servants with the rejected offering 
remaining. Compare with other frescoes of corresponding 
scenes, and you will be able to judge of these identifications. 
Centre, Madonna and Child, with Florentine saints, greatly 
injured. 

The Entrance wall has beautiful Delia Robbia Madon- 
nas, with crowning hands, angels, and other features. Two 
of these are the favourite subject of the Madonna Adoring 
the Child. The face of the **central one is inexpressibly 



VIII.] THE BARGELLO 217 

beautiful. Beyond the door, Madonna supporting the dead 
Christ, by Ghirlandajo, a fine fresco. Further on, fresco 
of justice, between two suitors, attributed to Rossi. 
Beyond the window, Madonna and draped Child, of the 
later School of Giotto. 

End wall, more Delia Robbias. Above, by Giovanni, 
Christ and the woman of Samaria. Beneath, by Andrea 
and Luca, Madonna and Child. In the earlier type, (Luca 
and Andrea) the figures are usually white on a blue ground : 
later works of the same school (Giovanni, etc.) such as the 
Christ and the Woman of Samaria above, are in polychrome, 
and less pleasing. 

L wall, returning, Christ and the Magdalen in the garden, 
of the later period. Beneath, in the predella, St. Francis 
receiving the stigmata (compare with pictures), the Resur- 
rection, and the Maries at the Tomb. Beyond the window, 
more Delia Robbias ; charming little * Annunciation, good 
Ascension, ^Madonna adoring the Child (with delicious 
baby St. John of Florence,) Nativity, and a lunette of St. 
Augustin. After seeing these Delia Robbias, look out for 
similar lunettes and medallions over the doors or arcades of 
Florentine houses and churches (Ognissanti, Hospital of 
San Paolo, Innocenti, etc.). Beyond the next window, again, 
Madonna adoring the Child. In this room (with the next) 
you have the best opportunity afforded you of learning to 
admire and love the Delia Robbias, especially Luca. 

Room II, 
at the far end of this one : more Delia Robbia ware, of 
various ages. Over the door, a florid Annunciation, not so 
successful, somewhat vulgar in its colouring. R of the door, 
Nativity, with shepherds in the background, ox and ass, 
little St. John of Florence, and adoring angels. Notice the 
inscriptions. This work exhibits the declining taste of the 
16th century. The faces of St. John and the Madonna 
should be compared with the infinitely more beautiful works 
by Luca and Andrea in the previous room and in this one. 
Note in each case to which of the family each work is 
attributed. The best are by Luca, then Andrea, while with 



2l8 FLORENCE [vill. 

t Giovanni the type degenerates. End wall, dainty taber- 
nacle, with angels, for holding the elements. Above it, 
charming Madonna. In the centre, "^beautiful lunette with 
delicious angels adoring the Madonna. Beneath it, good 
Andrea, circular Madonna. R and L, charming Lucas. 
To the L, debased Madonna in a circle. Window wall, 
opposite the door, Madonna della Misericordia, crowned, 
as usual, and sheltering votaries under her mantle. (Look 
out in future for this specialised type of Our Lady.) 
Between the next windows, Virgin between two saints, 
(Anne and Giovanni Gualberto) with donors, by Giovanni, 
better than his wont. Above it, Deposition, with St. Mary 
Magdalen holding her box of ointment. To the L, pretty 
little group of the Infant Christ and the Boy Baptist, rather 
coarsely executed. Between the 2nd and 3rd windows, 
St. Joseph, with his budded staff, and St. Augustin. In 
the next group of subjects observe again the Boy Baptist 
of Florence, twice repeated, and the Ascension, with Christ 
in a mandorla. The Coronation of the Virgin, beyond, has 
*the Madonna by Luca, with later added angels in the worst 
style of the family. Between the 5th and 6th windows, 
rather theatrical Resurrection. Above it, equally theatrical 
Christ and the Magdalen. This again indicates the declin- 
ing taste of the 16th cent. So do the Madonna between 
two Saints (James, Giovanni Gualberto) and the Miracle 
of St. Benedict beyond it. End wall, ill-coloured and 
unpleasing late Nativity. Above, St. Ursula, crowned as 
princess and with her palm of martyrdom. The Christ and 
the Magdalen over the door is sadly decadent. Returning 
along the other wall, Pieta, unpleasing. Between 1st and 
2nd windows, frieze of Christ and the Sacred Blood, and 
saints in niches, (Sebastian, Magdalen, Baptist, and 
Matthew the Evangelist with book and angel. The com- 
bination seems to indicate a votive plague work.) Between 
2nd and 3rd windows, more pleasing examples : Madonnas 
adoring and otherwise ; good St. Catherine ; dainty Boy 
Baptist ; and good portrait of a lady. The support of the 
central Madonna, by Francesco di Simone, (with the face 



VIII.] THE BARGELLO 219 

of Christ on St. Veronica's towel, and charming cherubs) is 
worth notice. In the centre are specimens of fine Italian 
ware of the 15th and 16th centuries. The subjects and 
decorations of many of these are well worth notice. 

Room III, 

below the steps, very dark, contains tapestries and glass. 
On the entrance wall, three beautiful coloured Madonnas. 
Near the window, another. These charming works need no 
explanation, but should all be noticed for their truth and 
beauty. 

Now traverse again Rooms II and I, and arrive at 

Room IV, 

at the end, containing Sculpture, chiefly of the earlier 
Renaissance. 

R of the door, Orcagna (?), Music, on a beautiful twisted 
column, recalling those in Or San Michele. The figure is 
one of Orcagna's ideal representations, and very charming. 

Over the door, late Delia Robbia. Beyond the door, 
terra-cottas. Observe here, once more, the dominant in- 
fluence of the youthful St. John Baptist, who colours so 
much of Florentine Renaissance ideals. "^Beautiful little 
statuette by Michelozzo of the Boy Baptist starting for the 
Desert. Observe the difference between this subject and 
St. John in the Desert. *Statuette, by an unknown Floren- 
tine of the 16th cent., of the young Baptist as a recluse ; 
the alternative treatment. Beyond it, baby St. John, with 
his mouth open. Another by Rossellino, much injured. 
On the same wall are two Penitent St. Jeromes (note the 
lion), companions to the St. Johns and Magdalens ; as well 
as copies in terra-cotta by Niccolo Tribolo of Michael 
Angelo's Night, Dawn, etc., in the New Sacristy at San 
Lorenzo. Note likewise a good head of *Piero de' Medici, 
by Verrocchio, and other portrait works. 

L wall. Below, very quaint early Christian sarcophagus 
(of the 4th cent.) with a slight oriental tinge in its 
sculpture. L compartment, Jonah cast out by the sailors. 
R compartment, Jonah returned to land by the whale. 



220 FLORENCE [vill. 

(Same subject on an ambo at Ravello.) Notice the corner 
faces, with caps recalling the Mithra reliefs. Above, bust 
by Rossellino ; curious early Tuscan Crucifixion, with St. 
John and the Madonna ; Madonna and angel ; Madonna 
and Child, by Alberto d'Arnoldo ; and a quaint early relief 
of San Frediano of Lucca. *Good portrait bust by Bene- 
detto da Maiano. Higher up, School of Andrea Pisano, 
Madonna and Child, between patron saints of Florence ; 
L, Santa Reparata, with her red-cross flag ; R, St. John 
Baptist. 

Window wall. Sepulchral figure of a bishop, flanked 
on either side by niave Romanesque reliefs of Christ and 
St. Benedict, and the Call of Peter and Andrew. Above 
them, * Apostles, of the school of Andrea Pisano. 

R wall. *Life-like bust, by Rossellino, of Francesco 
Sassetti, full of character. To balance it, *bust of an 
unknown 15th century Florentine, with thick under lip, 
instinct with keen penetration. Sculptor unknown. Between 
them, **fine relief by Verrocchio, from the tomb of Fran- 
cesca Pitti Tornabuoni, the only one now remaining of 
this fine series. The treatment is thoroughly antique. The 
figures represent, R, the death of Francesca in childbirth, 
with attendants mourning and tearing their hair. To the 
extreme R, the new-born infant. L, the child brought by 
its nurse to the widowed father. This is one of the 
earliest examples of such entirely classical and almost 
pagan treatment, which culminates in the frank paganism 
of Riccio's fine bronzes in the Louvre. Above, ^charming 
Virgin and Child, of the School of Verrocchio, Another, 
with a curious head-dress, by Rossellino. Also three admir- 
able portrait-reliefs, sufficiently described on their labels. 
That of ^Francesco Sforza is full of character. 

Room V 
contains works in marble of the High Renaissance. 
Entrance wall, l of door : fine bust of a Florentine lady. 
L wall, charming little St. John, starting for the Desert, 
by Rossellino. Note again the marked difference of attitude 
between a St. John setting out and a St. John in the desert. 



VIII.] THE BARGELLO 221 

*Virgin and Child, by Verrocchio. Half-length portrait- 
statue of a lady, by the same. Relief of Faith, by Matteo 
Civitale. Above, two apostles of the school of Andrea 
Pisano. Further on, a *dainty bust of a child, by an 
unknown 15th cent. Florentine. Above it, "^candela- 
brum, one of a pair by Benedetto da Maiano, decorative 
work and children in his most charming manner. Centre 
of wall, round relief of *the Madonna adoring the Child, 
by Rossellino, with shed, ox and ass, St. Joseph, shepherds, 
etc., and a delicious ring of baby cherubs. Beyond, young 
St. John, by the same, intermediate between the ascetic 
and later joyous treatment. *Virgin and Child, with gilt 
background, by Mino da Fiesole. Near it, another, closely 
resembling it in type, by a scholar of Mino, in a delicate 
frame of fiietra serena. Portrait-bust by Desiderio da 
Settignano. Exquisite little ^tabernacle for the elements 
of the Eucharist, with troops of guardian angels, somewhat 
marred by unpleasant perspective. Close by, Mino da 
Fiesole's little Cupid, for a fountain. 

End wall. Numerous reliefs of the period verging on 
the Decadence. Crucifixion of St. Peter, by Delia Robbia, 
very much injured. Justice, by Benedetto da Maiano. The 
other works, including the Liberation of Peter, by Luca 
della Robbia, explain themselves or are explained by their 
labels. 

Window wall. Rather coarse early Florentine Corona- 
tion of Charlemagne, partly restored in plaster. Beyond it, 
a Tabernacle, by Mino da Fiesole, architecturally very 
pretty. 

In the centre, Michael Angelo's unfinished David (or 
Apollo ;) a *young St. John, by Benedetto da Maiano ; and 
a Bacchus, by Jacopo Sansovino, which is really its pagan 
Renaissance equivalent. (How readily the one passes into 
the other is well shown by the Leonardo in the Louvre.) 

Entrance wall, again, *three good portrait-busts and 
charming Madonna and Child, by Mino da Fiesole. The 
bust of *Piero de' Medici, (nearest the window) with the 
swollen look, is admirable and life-like. His imitation of 



222 FLORENCE [VIII. 

the antique, in the young Marcus Aurelius, may be com- 
pared with the St. John Baptist and the Bacchus. 

I have said little of these works, again, merely because 
they do not need explanation. What they most require is 
appreciative study. Observe in this hall the fine wooden 
ceiling. 

Room VI 

has a good collection of seals, and some singularly ugly 
Gobelins tapestry. 



IX 

OR SAN MICHELE 

j J J ALF-WAY down the Via Calzaioli, on the right, as 
L X A y° u 8° towards the Signoria, stood at the end of 
the 13th century a market or loggia of somewhat the same 
type as that still to be seen in the Mercato Nuovo. It was 
covered with a vaulted roof, supporting a granary (horreum), 
with a much-revered statue of Our Lady, and another of the 
Archangel Michael : whence the existing name, Or San 
Michele, or " Granary of St. Michael." In 1350, the 
original loggia was altered into a church, preserving much 
the same shape, and with a strong vaulted roof, raised on 
powerful piers, so as to support the great grain loft in two 
stories above it. This church was in particular the Shrine 
of the Trades, and, above all of the Arts and Crafts of 
Florence. It stood close to the Palazzo Vecchio, or Palace 
of the Signoria— that is to say of the Guilds which had 
practically usurped the government of the city. 

In the great plague of 1348, Florence suffered terribly. 
Many persons who had lost all their relatives in the pesti- 
lence, dying themselves, left their fortunes to a certain 
miraculous picture of Our Lady (by Ugolino da Siena) in 
Or San Michele, which was greatly venerated. After the 
plague, again, several survivors also made rich thank-offer- 
ings for their preservation to the same Madonna. The sum 
thus accumulated was so enormous that the Company of 
Or San Michele commissioned Andrea Orcagna to build 
with it a costly shrine or tabernacle for the picture, which 
still remains one of the most splendid works of art to be 
seen in Florence.] 



224 FLORENCE [IX. 

If possible, choose a Thursday for this excursion : it is 
the day of the f!ower= market, when the Mercato Nuovo 

is seen to the greatest picturesque advantage. Turn out 
of the Via Tornabuoni, along the Via Porta Rossa, as far 
as the Mercato Nuovo. Observe its architecture, which, 
though much later in date, (15 14) will help you to under- 
stand that of Or San Michele. Then continue on into the 
Via Calzaioli, and go to Or San Michele itself, which 
stands on your L hand, looking less like a church than a 
square (or rather oblong) three-storied warehouse, — as in 
point of fact it was, save for its ground floor. Notice, first, 
the beautiful architecture of this ground floor — the church 
proper, — and then the windows and cornices of the granary 
above it. Observe the conjunction of round arches with 
Gothic detail. Walk round it once for the general effect. 
Then, return to the Via Calzaioli, to examine the niches and 
sculpture in detail. There are three niches at either end, 
E. and w., and four on each side, N. and S. The statues in 
the niches were each given by one of the Guilds of craftsmen 
or professions. The arms of the various Guilds who gave 
them are in circles above their gifts. 

Begin on the E. side, to the R. 1st niche, St. Luke the 
Evangelist, by Giovanni da Bologna (1602) : beneath it, his 
winged bull. Given by the Judges and Notaries : this is 
the latest of the series. 2nd niche, (itself a beautiful work 
by Donatello, well worthy of notice,) Christ and the doubting 
Thomas, by Verrocchio, (1483) a very characteristic example 
of this great though rather dry sculptor. Given by the 
Merchants. 3rd niche, St. John Baptist of Florence, by 
Ghiberti, (1414) with a robe covering his camel-hair garment. 
Given by the Cloth Dealers. This is the ascetic Saint in 
the desert. Note also the little figures between the niches, 
and those on the summits of the mullions in the windows. 

S. side. 1st niche, St. John the Evangelist, by Baccio da 
Montelupo, (1515.) Given by the Silk Weavers. On the 
niche above, and in the circle, the arms of the Guild. The 
2nd niche once contained a beautiful mediaeval Madonna 
and Child, now removed to the centre of the church. Ob- 



IX.] OR SAN MICHELE 225 

serve its architecture. Above it, charming Madonna and 
Child, by Luca della Robbia, in a dainty tabernacle. 3rd 
niche, St. James, by Nanni di Banco. Given by the Furriers. 
The little relief below represents the decapitation of the 
Saint : that above, his assumption. On either side, the arms 
of the Company, quartering the lamb of St. John Baptist. 
4th niche, St. Mark the Evangelist, by Donatello (141 3). 
Given by the Joiners. Beneath his feet, his winged lion. 
In each case observe the architecture of the niches. 

W. side. Stand under the archway which connects the 
church with the Guildhall of the Guild of Wool-Combeis 
beside it. Over the shop behind you, notice the O.S.M., for 
Or San Michele, which you will observe abundantly on 
pictures and sculpture elsewhere. The Guildhall, with its 
beautiful wooden canopy, has the symbol of the Guild, the 
lamb and flag of St. John, many times repeated. 1st niche, 
St. Eligius (St. Eloy) the sainted blacksmith, by Nanni di 
Banco (a noble figure.) Given by the Farriers. Notice, in 
the niche, their symbol, the pincers. Beneath, relief of St. 
Eligius in his forge performing a famous miracle. (In order 
to shoe a refractory horse, he cut off its leg and then mira- 
culously restored it.) In the circle above, observe the 
pincers. 2nd niche, St. Stephen, by Donatello, in deacon's 
robes, holding in his hand the stone of his 1 martyrdom. 
Above his head, the arms of the Guild of Wool-Weavers, 
which gave it, repeated also higher up in the circle. 3rd 
niche, St. Matthew, by Ghiberti and Michelozzo, the gift of 
the Money-changers, whose patron he was (as he sat at the 
receipt of custom.) Above it, their arms. On either side, 
two charming figures composing an Annunciation, by Niccolo 
d'Arezzo (1400.) Look up from this corner at the view of 
the building. 

N. side. 1st niche, St. George, by Donatello, (a copy, the 
original is in the Bargello.) Beneath it, relief of the saint 
killing the dragon. 2nd niche, the Quattro Santi Coronati, 
or Four Holy Craftsmen, (Roman builders and sculptors of 
the early church, martyred because they would not make 
images of pagan deities. See Mrs. Jameson.) The figures 

P 



226 FLORENCE [IX. 

are by Nanni di Banco. Beneath, relief of the four saints 
in their workshop, engaged in sculpture and masonry. In 
the circle above, arms of the four trades who gave them — 
Bricklayers, Carpenters, Smiths, and Masons, — whose im- 
plements may be seen in the four smaller circles — pincers, 
hammer, trowel, and angle. 3rd niche, St. Philip, by Nanni 
di Banco, the gift of the Shoemakers. Their arms above it. 
4th niche, St. Peter the Apostle, with keys and book. A 
very youthful work by Donatello, still almost Gothic in 
character. It forms the starting-point for his later develop- 
ment. Trace him hence upward. (His early works here 
may be compared for drapery, etc., with those of Piero di 
Giovanni Tedesco from this very church in the Arcade at 
the Bargello. With the St. George, he throws off the Gothic 
style, and begins to feel his wings. Thence, see the Dona- 
tello room at the Bargello.) Above this figure, in the 
circle, the arms of the Butchers, — a goat rampant, by Delia 
Robbia. 

Now, enter the church, by the second door to the R, on 
the w. side. The interior is very peculiar. It is divided by 
piers in the centre into two aisles or passages, and has no 
regular nave, choir, or transepts. (This arrangement is 
probably borrowed from the original loggia.) All the fres- 
coes in this church, attributed to Iacopo da Casentino 
(Landini), but probably by many assistants, are greatly 
faded and little discernible. Note, however to the L as you 
enter, the namesake St. Michael, trampling on the dragon, 
with kneeling lady donor. Beneath, a curious fresco with 
the wild legend of the appearance of the saint on Monte 
Galgano. (See Mrs. Jameson.) 

By far the most important object in this church, however, 
is the great Gothic Shrine, by Orcagna, which faces you at 
the end of the R aisle as you enter. This magnificent work 
occupied Orcagna for ten years, and was finished in 1359. 
Sit down in front of it for a while, to take in its splendid 
architectural arrangement. It is a canopy in marble, inlaid 
with mosaic, gold, and lapis lazuli : and it is enriched with 
endless pinnacles, columns, and statuettes, in lavish profu- 



IX.] OR SAN MICHELE 227 

sion. The whole is clamped together with metal clamps ; 
and though shaken and rent by earthquake, it stands firm 
and solid in its Gothic grandeur. Study the general scheme 
for some time before you proceed to examine the reliefs, 
which bridge over the gap between Andrea Pisano and 
Ghiberti. They are all by Orcagna. 

Now, begin on the L hand side to examine in detail the 
sculpture of the base. The reliefs on the altar represent 
episodes in the history of the Madonna, with the three 
theological Graces between them. L, hand side, centre, 
Faith. First panel, the Birth of the Virgin, represented 
with all the conventional details. Second panel, the Pre- 
sentation of the Virgin in the Temple, with the High Priest 
above, the Madonna (now headless) half way up the steps, 
St. Joachim and St. Anna on either side, and the Virgins of 
the Lord in attendance close by. (Compare with the fres- 
coes by Taddeo Gaddi and Giovanni da Milano at Santa 
Croce.) The piers at the angles, supporting the roof, 
have allegorical Virtues, after the Gothic taste of the period. 
Front: centre, Hope. First panel, Marriage of the Virgin, 
where the attitudes of Joseph and Mary, the budded staff, 
the angry suitor striking, the impatient suitor breaking his 
staff, and all the details, are conventional. Compare with 
the frescoes. The arrangement persists as late as the 
Spozalizio by Perugino (now at Caen ; ) imitated by Raphael 
(in the Brera at Milan), and by Luini at Saronno. (But it 
did not begin with Orcagna.) Second panel, the Annuncia- 
tion, also with the usual conventional features. Notice 
O.S.M., to R and L, on the piers. 

The picture over the Altar, (to contain which this marvel- 
lous work was built,) was originally a Madonna and Child, 
with adoring angels, by Ugolino da Siena : the one which 
now replaces it is by Bernardo Daddi, somewhat after the 
fashion of the Cimabue in Santa Maria Novella, though of 
course with technical work in the style of the School of 
Giotto. Ugolino's was the miraculous image which collected 
during the plague the money employed in building this 
Tabernacle. Lafenestre attributes the present altar-piece to 



228 FLORENCE [iX. 

Don Lorenzo Monaco : it is no part of my task to give 
critical opinions, but I confess I fail to see in it any mark of 
Don Lorenzo's handicraft. 

R side, centre, Charity, with her flaming crown, nursing 
an infant. First panel, the Nativity, with announcement to 
the Shepherds. 2nd panel, the Adoration of the Magi, 
where the figures and positions are again conventional. Do 
not omit such minor features as the beautiful angels on the 
frame of Daddi's picture, nor the statuettes on the piers. 
The minor Virtues in relief below have their names 
inscribed upon them. At the back, below, in the centre, a 
door (to hold the relic.) First panel, the Presentation of 
Christ in the Temple, where priest, altar, fire, etc., are all 
conventional. Second panel, the Angel announcing the 
death of the Virgin. (Distinguish this subject from an 
Annunciation. In it, the angel bears three palms or seven 
stars.) The back, above, is occupied by a large relief of the 
Death and Assumption of the Madonna. Below, Our Lady 
on her bier, with Christ receiving her soul, like a new-born 
baby. The Apostles in attendance, with other saints, to R 
and L, and adoring angels. Above, the Madonna in a 
mandorla, with aged features, (very unusual) raised by 
angels. To the L, St. Thomas, with his hands raised to 
catch the Sacra Cintola, once held (I think) by the 
Madonna, but now broken off, with her thumb. (Perhaps it 
was in metal.) This is the original of the Nanni di Banco 
on the N. door of the Cathedral, where, however, the two 
trees to the R are replaced by a tree and a bear. Compare 
them. 

Do not rest satisfied with verifying this brief description 
alone, but sit long, and observe the other details, such as the 
candlestick angels at the corners, supported by beautiful 
inlaid twisted pillars, with lions and lionesses alternately on 
their bases. Note also in detail the exquisite decorative 
work of the friezes, piers, and arches ; the beautiful scallop- 
shells ; and the character of the inlay. Every portion of 
this gorgeous work deserves long and close study. 

After looking at this magnificent masterpiece of Orcagna, 



IX.] OR SAN MICHELE 229 

it may be difficult for you to interest yourself in the other 
works in this singular church. The corresponding place in 
the L aisle is filled by the Altar of St. Anne, erected in 
gratitude for that saint's aid in the expulsion of Walter de 
Brienne, Duke of Athens. The usual conventional group 
of St. Anne holding on her knees the Madonna and Child is 
by Francesco di San Gallo. The central arch on the L 
contains a niche with the wonder-working Madonna from 
the outside of the church, transported hither in 1781, in 
order to preserve it from further injury by the weather. It 
is a regal crowned Madonna, almost recalling the French 
type, and is attributed to Simone Talenti (?) Of the fres- 
coes, comparatively few can now be deciphered. Among 
the most noticeable are St. Bartholomew, with his knife, on 
the pier to the L of Orcagna's shrine : beneath him, a 
predella of the flaying of the saint. Next pier, a Trinity. 
The little scene below can be easily recognised. Last pier 
on the R, St. George, which remotely suggested Donatello's 
treatment. Below it, the Combat with the Dragon. Last 
pier, centre, St, Stephen, with his stone on his head. 
Beneath, his martyrdom. Many of the others may be spelt 
out on bright mornings. 

I advise you to sit for some time in this church, to observe 
its architecture and decoration, and also to familiarise your- 
self with the details of Orcagna's great tabernacle. 



X 
SAN MINIATO 

aT is not often at Florence that one reaches down to 
the very earliest stratum of Christian hagiology, 
as one so often does at Rome or Ravenna. Santa Reparata 
and San Zanobi, indeed, are local saints belonging to the 
period of the early persecutions ; but the ancient church of 
Santa Reparata has given way before the progress of the 
cult of Our Lady to the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, 
while the body of San Zanobi now reposes in a Renaissance 
shrine, all glorious from the hands of Lorenzo Ghiberti. At 
San Miniato del Monte, however, we do really come upon 
a saint of the earliest layer of Christian martyrology, still 
enshrined in a church of early date and of fine Romanesque 
architecture. Minias or Miniatus, according to the legend, 
was a prince of Armenia, who served Rome in the legions 
of Decius (about 254 A.D.). Accused of Christianity when 
the Emperor was encamped outside the city of Florence, on 
the hill which now bears his name, Miniatus confessed the 
truth, and was condemned to be thrown to the beasts in the 
amphitheatre — who of course declined to harm him. The 
usual varied attempts to kill him which followed,, all failed 
in the usual way ; but at last he was beheaded, a fate which 
no saint, not even St. Denis, could ever permanently survive. 
From a very early period, it is probable that a church on 
this site covered his remains, which still exist here. The 
present basilica (such is its official title), a beautiful specimen 
of Tuscan-Romanesque architecture, dates in part from the 
year 1010. With the group of buildings about it, forming 
part originally of a Benedictine monastery, it is conspicuous 



X.] SAN MINI A TO 23 1 

from almost every part of the Lungarno. Choose a bright 
day on which to visit it. Read beforehand the legend of 
St. Benedict. 

Another saint, however, with whose history it is also 
necessary to be acquainted in order fully to understand San 
Miniato is a much later one, San Giovanni Gualberto, the 
founder of Vallombrosa (985-1073). Giovanni was a member 
of a wealthy Florentine family. An assassin murdered his 
brother Hugo. By the custom of vendetta, which then 
universally obtained, Giovanni ought to have killed the 
murderer. As he mounted one "Good Friday towards San 
Miniato, with armed followers, he unexpectedly met the 
murderer, defenceless, at a turn of the road. The assassin, 
taken by surprise, fell at his feet and begged for mercy, for 
love of Christ and Our Lady. Giovanni, moved by pity, 
forgave him, and went on to San Miniato, where he threw 
himself trembling before a crucifix. Instantly, the Christ 
on the cross nodded his head in approval. Deeply stirred 
by this incident, Giovanni became a Benedictine monk in 
the monastery of San Miniato : but afterwards, finding the 
discipline too lax for him, he retired to Vallombrosa, where 
he founded a sterner and more ascetic order. The crucifix 
which performed the miracle, and many other mementoes 
of the saint, still remain at San Miniato. (See the beautiful 
legend in full in Mrs. Jameson.) 

Remember, therefore, three things about this church : (1) 
it is the church of a Benedictine monastery ; therefore it is 
full of pictures of St. Benedict : (2) it is the church of the 
early local Armenian martyr San Miniato, over whose 
body it is raised : (3) it was hallowed by its association with 
San Giovanni Gualberto.] 

Walk or drive as far as the Porta San Niccolo. Then, 
take the zigzag path up the hill, as far as the Piazzale 
Michelangiolo, on the Viale dei Colli. From this point 
there is a* fine view of Florence. In the centre of the 
Piazzale stands a copy in bronze of Michael Angelo's David 
(at the Belle Arti), originally intended to replace the marble 



232 FLORENCE [x. 

figure removed from outside the Palazzo Vecchio, but after- 
wards placed in its present site because the dark background, 
which suited the marble, destroyed the effect of the bronze 
copy. At its base are similar copies of Day, Night, Dawn, 
and Dusk from the Tombs of the Medici at San Lorenzo. 

The small church, among cypresses, a little further up, is 
attached to the Franciscan monastery of San Salvatore al 
Monte; it was built by Cronaca in the year 1504. Its in- 
ternal proportions are simple but pleasing. Above the High 
Altar is a Crucifixion, with St. Francis close to the Cross, 
and the Madonna and St. John. (The Franciscans always 
attach special importance to the cross and crucifix.) Over 
the L door is a Pieta, by Giovanni della Robbia. Notice 
throughout the Franciscan character of the decorations. 

Continue up the hill as far as the fort, erected by Michael 
Angelo in 1529, and defended by him for 11 months against 
the imperial troops, who besieged the town to restore the 
Medici. Pass in by the gate of Michael Angelo's fortress, 
with the Medici balls now triumphantly displayed on its 
doorway, and ring the bell at the door in front of you. (The 
cuslode expects a few soldi.) Stand on the platform in front 
of the church, to observe the faqade and the Palace to the 
R of it (about 1294). 

The front (about 1013, restored 1401) is in the Tuscan- 
Romanesque style, and not unlike the Baptistery or the 
early part of Santa Maria Novella. Above are beautiful 
pilasters and inlaid work, on the gable of the nave, which is 
connected with the aisles by triangular half-pediments. 
(Compare with Santa Croce and Santa Maria Novella.) 
Over the principal window on the front is a too-much- 
restored 13th cent, mosaic, representing Christ enthroned, 
on a very Byzantine seat, with Our Lady to his R and San 
Miniato to his L, holding in his hand a problematical object 
which is apparently a crown (but I do not feel sure of it). 
Do not overlook the eagle on the top, the beautiful cornice, 
and the heraldic animals in the gable. Observe also the 
lions supporting the pillars of the upper window, with its 
exquisite inlaid- work. The campanile, ruinous, is of 1524. 



X.] SAN MINI A TO 233 

Enter the church, which is in form a simple Basilica, 
with an Apse of the tribune, but with its Choir raised by 
steps above the Crypt. As it stands, it is the oldest church 
in Florence, save perhaps the Baptistery. Notice the 
beautiful side arches of the Nave, supported by columns, 
whose marble is unfortunately artificial. Observe also 
that the roof is largely supported by three arches across 
the Nave, borne by clustered pillars, dividing it into three 
main compartments. Nave, arches, and tribune are almost 
entirely covered with ornamental marble decoration. 
Notice also the inlaid floor, with the Signs of the Zodiac, 
and animals in pairs on either side of a tree, together with 
the frequent Romanesque device (once Etruscan and 
oriental) of two birds pecking towards a centre. (See 
Goblet d'Alviella's Migration of Symbols.) 

In the R aisle, ruined frescoes ; the first exhibits, centre, 
the Madonna and Child, L, St. John Baptist, St. Mark the 
Evangelist, and St. Francis, R, St. John the Evangelist, 
St. James, and St. Antony Abbot, attributed to Paolo di 
Stefano. Further on, groups of saints, indistinctly traceable. 
Among them I make out St. Nicholas of Bari with his 
golden balls, and probably Santa Reparata. On the pier, 
St. Mary Magdalen, clad with her own hair, in her cave in 
Provence. Next her, St. Catherine, San Miniato, St. Julian, 
and a fourth figure with a Cross and instruments of the 
Passion, of which I am not certain. All these are perhaps 
by Spinello Aretino (?) 

Before mounting the steps, which lead to the raised choir, 
observe, in the centre, the beautiful little canopy or Chapel, 
erected for Piero de' Medici after a design by Michelozzo, 
in order to cover the famous Crucifix, which bowed its 
head to San Giovanni Gualberto, the founder of the 
Vallombrosan order, when he pardoned the murderer of his 
brother. The aStar=piece is a composite picture, (attributed 
to Spinello Aretmo ?) with San Miniato, crowned, to the R 
and San Giovanni Gualberto, bearing the Crucifix, to the 
L. In the centre are scenes from the Passion, with an 
Annunciation, Ascension, etc. 



234 FLORENCE [x. 

Now, mount the steps to the raised Choir, noticing as 
you do so the beautiful wall of the crypt, behind the canopy, 
as well as the interesting roof of the latter. To your R, at 
the top of the stairs, are three saints, among whom St. Mary 
Magdalen and Santa Reparata with her lily are alone 
clearly recognisable. In front of you is the exquisite 
*screen of the Choir, a most lovely work in inlaid marble 
with mosaic patterns of Romanesque type. Examine these 
in detail, and note particularly the quaint device of men 
and winged monsters on either side of the doorway. All 
these figures are lovely specimens of Romanesque work. 
The **pulpit, raised on pillars, and with its lectern sup- 
ported by an eagle, standing on a squat human figure, above 
a lion, is also a work of extraordinary beauty. All its 
details should be carefully inspected. Look into the handi- 
craft of all this work closely. Then, enter the Choir. The 
Apse of the Tribune has an *early mosaic, 12th cent. (?), 
very much restored (in 1388, 148 1, and our own time) but 
still extremely beautiful, of Christ blessing, with the Alpha 
and Omega on either side of him. Notice the Byzantine 
style of the throne. To his R stands the Madonna, to his 
L " Sanctus Miniatus, Rex Erminie," holding his crown, as 
if offering it to the Saviour. Beneath are the beasts of the 
Four Evangelists, with their names marked beside them. 
The detail of this interesting early work includes curious 
trees, with birds and other animals. The Byzantine type 
of the decorative adjuncts is well worth attention. On the 
under surface of the arch by the side are minor figures, 
alternately whole length in mandorlas, and busts with haloes, 
divided by birds pecking. In one corner of the main 
mosaic is the figure of the donor. Observe also the inlaid 
decoration of the Apse, below, with its windows blocked 
by translucent slabs of marble. 

On the R wall of the choir are pictures of local interest. 
Between the doors, a panel of San Miniato, with his sword, 
and on either hand, in smaller pictures, the various in- 
effectual attempts to murder him. Further on, saints, too 
much defaced for safe identification. Over the R altar, San 



X.] SAN MINIATO 235 

Giovanni Gualberto, holding his crucifix. The L altar has 
a late picture of San Miniato, with other saints, to whom 
Our Lady is appearing. On the wall beyond is a Pieta. 
By the steps, in the L aisle, as you descend, fresco of St. 
Jerome. 

Now, enter the depressed Crypt, the arrangement of 
which will help you to understand such later churches as St. 
Denis near Paris, where transepts are added to this simpler 
Basilica. The choir is supported by small columns, mostly 
very ancient, with various capitals, all of which deserve 
notice. The much larger columns which support the roof 
of the Nave pass through the vaulting of the choir without 
bearing any of its weight. The chapel at the end, with 
graceful fluted columns, and frescoed vaulting, contains a 
High Altar, under which still repose the remains of San 
Miniato, for whose sake the church was erected. 

Half-way down the L aisle is the Chapel of St. James, 
built in 1 46 1 by Rossellino, to contain the *Tomb of 
Cardinal James of Portugal, which forms its principal 
object. All the sculpture is by Rossellino. The Cardinal 
lies on a bier, supported by charming children. Above, 
kneel two angels, one of whom holds a crown. Higher still, 
Madonna and Child, in a frame supported by flying angels. 
The decorative work of the base and sides is very beautiful. 
So is that of the entrance arch, and the niches by the win- 
dows. Observe the mosaic floor. On the ceiling are four 
winged cardinal virtues by Delia Robbia. On the L wall, 
above the marble seat, is an Annunciation, formerly 
attributed to Pollaiolo, but referred by Morelli to Baldo- 
vinetti. The frescoes, attributed to the Pollaioli, but 
similarly assigned by Morelli to Baldovinetti, represent 
the Four Evangelists, accompanied by the Four Doctors of 
the Church, in the usual combination. 

Further on, in the L aisle, is a Crucifixion with various 
saints, amongst whom St. Benedict is conspicuous, close to 
the foot of the cross. Among the others are probably the 
Madonna and St. John, St. Stephen and Santa Reparata, 
St. Francis and St. Antony Abbot. P^urther still, Madonna 



236 FLORENCE [x. 

and Child, in a mandorla of cherubs, with R, St. Jerome 
and St. John Baptist ; L, St. Benedict and St. Lawrence. I 
am not quite sure of all these identifications. 

Note the fine wooden roof of the Nave, and the frequent 
repetition throughout of the Florentine eagle of St. John. 

Get the Sacristan to open for you the door of the 
*Sacristy, on the R side of the choir (fee, about 50 a). It 
contains *frescoes by Spinello Aretino, extremely appropri- 
ate to a Benedictine Abbey. On the roof, the four Evan- 
gelists with their emblems (by another hand, I think). 
Beneath, an admirable series of the Miracles of St. Bene- 
dict. These run chronologically in a curious spiral order, 
the top first, then the bottom, running on one plane : but 
for convenience of description, I treat them by walls. 
Wall facing you as you enter : above, L, St. B. leaves his 
father's house on horseback : R, St. B. performs the miracle 
of the broken dish. Below, L, Totila, King of the Goths, 
comes to visit St. B. at the monastery of Monte Cassina 
and the saint prophesies ; R, death of St. B., whom one of 
his monks sees ascending to heaven, along a broad way 
covered with brocade. Wall to the R : above, L, St. B. 
puts on the monastic dress, and receives investiture in his 
cave from the monk Romano. R, St. B. receives a message 
from a priest inspired by God. Below, L, St. B. resuscitates 
a young monk, killed by the fall of a wall at Monte Cassino 
(note the devils) ; R, St. B. observes a young monk who 
leaves the church at prayer-time tempted by a devil ; he 
scourges the monk, and exorcises the devil. Entrance 
wall: above, L, St. B. mortifies the flesh by lying among 
thorns : R, St. B. is proclaimed prior of the monastery. 
Below, L, St. B. discovers water for the convent, and makes 
a lost axe swim on the surface ; R, St. B. sends forth St. 
Maurus to rescue St. Placidus, who has fallen into a river. 
Window wall : above, L, St. B. abandons the convent, to 
the joy of the monks, who found his discipline too severe : 
R, *St. B. receives Maurus and Placidus as novices from the 
hands of their parents. Below, L, St. B. exorcises devils 
who prevented the removal of a stone : R, St. B. recognises 



X.] SAN MINI A TO 237 

the armour-bearer whom Totila had sent to him, disguised 
as the king. Now that you know the subjects, follow them 
out in the proper order. These fine frescoes, with their 
dignified treatment of St. Benedict and their varied action, 
are the best specimens now remaining of Spinello's work- 
manship. They were restored in 1840. 



It you return to Florence by the steep steps which run 
through a cypress avenue direct to the Porta San Miniato, 
you will pass on your way (according to Hare) a little shrine 
which marks the place where San Giovanni Gualberto for- 
gave his brother's murderer. But I will honestly confess 
that though I have searched for it more than once, I have 
failed to find it. 



XI 

THE ETRUSCAN MUSEUM 

j" I "'VERY great thing that has ever been done in Italy, 
L l v late or early, has been done by Etruscans. Rome 
herself was a half-Tuscan outpost, divided between Latin 
and Etruscan blood. Her arts and ceremonies, nay, some 
even of her kings, were supplied to her by Etruria. In later 
days, her empire was organised by the Etruscan Maecenas 
and the Etruscan Sejanus. From the earliest date, the 
Etruscans alone among Italian races showed themselves 
capable of fruitfully assimilating Assyrian, Egyptian, and 
Hellenic culture. When the Roman Empire began to break 
up, Florence became the chief inheritor of Etruscan great- 
ness ; art awoke there, as it also did in equally Etruscan 
Pisa, Siena, and Perugia. Nowhere in Italy outside the 
wider Etruscan area were great things done ; all the famous 
poets, painters, sculptors, architects, philosophers, scholars, 
and men of science were of Tuscan blood, or came from 
regions that had once been Etruscan. For besides Tuscany 
proper, with its outliers in Rome (I am speaking ethnically) 
and Capua, Bologna was Etruscan, as all Lombardy, with 
Mantua and Ravenna, had been of old : while Venice itself 
was founded by refugees from Etruscan or half-Etruscan 
and half-Illyrian cities. It behoves you, therefore, while 
you are here in the capital of modern Etruria, to learn 
something of the arts and history of the ancient Tuscans. 
The best book on the subject is the last edition of Dennis's 
Cities and Cemeteries of Etruria. But in order to gain a 
foretaste of what early Etruria was like, I advise you to 
begin with a brief visit to the Etruscan Museum of Flor- 



XL] THE ETRUSCAN MUSEUM 239 

ence, in the Via della Colonna. Open daily from 10 to 4, 
one franc ; free on Sundays. 

I will give but the briefest generalised account, leaving 
you to pursue the subject further at your leisure if you find 
it attracts you.] 

The First Room to the l on the Ground Floor contains 
very early hut-shaped sepulchral urns from the necropolis 
of Vetulonia. The earliest tombs in Europe were under- 
ground houses (or chambered barrows) in which the dead 
were buried with their arms and goods, to lead their subter- 
raneous life as above ground. After burning came in, these 
smaller hut-shaped urns for the ashes were substituted for 
real huts, the soul being supposed to inhabit them as the 
body had inhabited the underground palaces. The cases 
also contain pottery of early native execution, weapons, etc., 
which were placed in the tomb for the use of the spirit. The 
articles so buried included objects of personal adornment, 
bracelets, necklets, and decorative household ornaments. 

The Second Room contains bronzes and jewelry, mostly 
of somewhat later date, also from the necropolis of Vetulonia. 
The doorways are copied from those in the tombs. Observe 
throughout how the solid and massive but somewhat 
gloomy Tuscan type of architecture is derived from ancient 
Etruria, and has persisted with little change of spirit to the 
present day. This room also contains beautiful black 
pottery, as yet betraying little or no oriental or Greek influ- 
ence. In the glass case nearest the window, objects found 
in the tomb of a lucwno or prince at Vetulonia. The de- 
signs on all the metal- work in this room deserve close 
attention. In the centre case, notice the exquisite gold 
jewelry, in miniature filagree work. 

The Third Room contains objects from Vetulonia and 
Populonia, including stiff archaic stone mortuary figures, of 
about the 7th cent. These exhibit Egyptian affinities. 
Notice among them the early occurrence of the common 
oriental and afterwards Tuscan design of the two birds 
facing one another, seen at San Miniato and elsewhere. 



240 FLORENCE [XI. 

Case near the window, fine black pottery, with native 
designs ; also exquisite gold jewelry. Good case of coins 
from Populonta. Fine amphora, etc. Many of the lamps 
and other terra-cotta objects in the end case are highly 
characteristic. 

Mount the stair=case to the First Floor. To the R lies 
the Egyptian Museum, interesting mainly to Egyptologists. 
As it is inferior to those of the great European capitals, 
especially London and Paris, I will not enumerate its 
objects. To the R lies 

The Etruscan Museum, one of the finest in the world, 
and of strictly local importance. Approach it by passing 
through the Egyptian Rooms, so as to take the various 
halls in the most instructive order. 

Hall VIII. begins the Etruscan objects, and contains 
splendid specimens of black Etruscan pottery, of early 
date, with a few red specimens. It is not necessary to 
enumerate these, but particular attention should be paid to 
the beautiful group in and on case B, between the windows, 
with decorative figures bearing special relation to the Cult 
of the Dead. Note the symbolic bird which sits on the top 
of most of these pieces. Some of the cases contain good 
collections of domestic implements, placed with the bodies 
or ashes of the dead for the use of the spirit. All come 
from sepulchral monuments. 

Hall IX contains early coloured works : those in case I, 
mainly of native manufacture and design : case II, made 
in Etruria, in imitation of oriental models : case III, imported 
from Corinth. The figures and designs on all of these 
deserve close attention. In the centre, chased silver and 
bronze dishes. 

Hall X contains cases of bronze weapons and decorative 
objects, many of them of high artistic value. Notice in 
case I, two winged Genii with the body of a wounded 
warrior, closely resembling on the one hand certain 
Egyptian pictures, and on the other hand suggesting the 
origin of the mediaeval Pieta. The same case contains 
exquisite candelabra and other fine metal-work. In the 



XL] THE ETRUSCAN MUSEUM 24 1 

centre, magnificent fragments from Chianiano. In cases 
V to VII, weapons, mace, etc. In case VIII, notice exqui- 
site jars and mirror-frames from Telamone. 

Hall XI contains the best bronzes of the collection. In the 
centre, great bronze *Chimaera of the 5th century, from 
Arezzo, considered by some experts to be of Greek workman- 
ship. R of the door, noble statue of **Minerva, lower portion 
restored, also from Arezzo. To balance it, fine statue of an 
**Orator, admitted to be of native handicraft, and found 
near the Trasimene lake. Along the wall beside him, bronze 
figures, some of them of stiff archaic workmanship, represent- 
ing Tuscan chieftains and their wives, while others, later, 
exhibit the gradual increase of Greek influence. On the 
same wall, above case 5, animal figures, similarly progressing 
from archaic stiffness to the comparative freedom shown in 
the small bronze of a he-goat. In the case below, beautiful 
Etruscan mirrors, the most charming of which is one in 
silver with the Etruscan deities Aplu, Turms, and Tinia. 
Beside it, dice and other works in ivory. The small cases 
contain bronzes of various dates, similarly varying from the 
most marked archaic stiffness to perfect Greek freedom. 
Among the most beautiful is No. 1, head of a young man, of 
native workmanship, belonging to the Roman period. Nos. 
9, 10, 11 and 13, are also most interesting. The labels give 
the origin and age of the various figures. On the wall, 
smaller bronzes, many of them of great beauty. Case 1, 
which is arranged in approximately chronological order, 
admirably exhibits the gradual change from stiff early figures, 
with arms closely affixed to the sides, through those where 
the arms and legs are partially separated, to later forms in 
which unsymmetrical arrangement, variety of movement, and 
at last grace and freedom are more and more conspicuous. 

Retraverse Halls XI, X, and IX. 

Hall XII, a long corridor, contains painted vases, of 
Greek origin, imported into Etruria to be buried with the 
dead. The study of these can only be attempted by the aid 
of specialist works, such as Miss Jane Harrison's Greek Vases. 
The earlier specimens have mostly black figures on a red 

Q 



242 FLORENCE [XI. 

ground ; the later have the figures in red on black. The 
labels sufficiently indicate their dates and origin for the 
casual visitor. In the central case is the famous Francois 
vase, so called from its first possessor, one of the finest 
specimens of Greek fictile art. The subjects on its decora- 
tions are explained on the label. Near it, in the case to the 
R, are exquisite tazzas of fine Attic workmanship. Beyond 
them, we come upon vases with more pictorial and less 
decorative treatment, showing red figures on a black ground. 

Hall XIII contains black Etruscan pottery, in imitation of 
metal-work, of the 3rd and 2nd cents. B.C. In the opposite 
case, decorative terra-cotta works, many ot them originally 
gilt or silvered. 

The First Room on the L contains the smaller Greek 
and Roman bronzes, removed from the Uffizi. Only close 
personal study of these will be of any value. The Second 
Room contains the larger bronzes, busts, etc. 

Return through Hall XIII and the Long Corridor into 
Hall XVIII, containing objects in glass and in the precious 
metals, including chaplets, necklaces, etc. In the cases, 
collections of heavy old Roman and Latin copper money. 

The next door to the L gives access to Hall XXI, con- 
taining life-sized sarcophagi for burial, and smaller sarco- 
phagi for containing ashes after cremation. In most of 
these, the deceased reclines, half raised, on the lid of the 
sarcophagus, many of the portraits exhibiting well the able 
and vigorous Etruscan features. The dead are represented 
on their tombs as if at a banquet, and often hold in their 
hands dishes or drinking vessels. Round the wall are decora- 
tions imitated from tombs. In the centre, under curtains 
(which draw) *fine coloured terra-cotta tomb of Larthia 
Seiantia, from the cemetery of Clusium, now Chiusi. In 
this example the dress, jewelry, cushions, and other acces- 
sories are highly characteristic. The figure represents an 
Etruscan lady, in her habit as she lived, in the 2nd cent. B.C. 
For the subjects on the sarcophagi, the reader must be 
referred to Dennis's Cities and Ce?neteries of Etruria. 

Hall XXII contains sepulchral monuments of the latest 



XL] THE ETRUSCAN MUSEUM 243 

and most civilised period, with subjects taken from Greek 
mythology sculptured on the sides. These are in most cases 
indicated on the labels. (Compare those in the Uffizi.) 
Among the finest are No. 7, the Calydonian Boar ; 11, the 
Death of Oemomaus : 17, etc.. Beneath these are fine tombs 
with figures holding tazzas and bearing traces of colour. 
Near the middle of the room, ^beautiful alabaster monument 
from Corneto, with Combat of Greeks and Gauls, exquisitely 
rendered. All the tombs in this room deserve close inspec- 
tion. In the centre, under curtains, **splendid sarcophagus, 
with painted figures of a Combat of Greeks and Amazons. 
This is one of the finest remaining specimens of ancient 
painting, but is said by Dennis to be the work of a Greek 
artist. It comes, however, from Corneto, and is of local 
alabaster : the colours in parts are most fresh and vivid. 
Notice, near the window, several urns in which the deceased 
are represented as sleeping, not feasting, — this alternative 
conception belonging as a rule to a later date and almost 
leading up to the Christian idea. On the wall to the R are 
several duplicate representations of the same scenes, which 
deserve close comparison. The most frequent subject is 
Polynices and Eteocles. 



If this rapid survey of the Etruscan Museum has inter- 
ested you in the history and art of the ancestral Florentines 
and Tuscans, pursue the subject further by reading Dennis's 
Cities and Cemeteries of Etruria. A personal visit to one 
or two of the Etruscan tombs will, however, teach you more 
than much reading. The most accessible of these is the 
Tomb of the Volumnii, between Perugia and Assisi. It 
can be easily visited in the course of a drive from one of these 
towns to the other. The town walls and other remains of 
Volterra (Volaterrae) and Populonia are in some ways more 
important but less easy of access. From Rome the extremely 
interesting cemetery of Corneto (the ancient Tarquinii) can 
be easily visited. It contains a number of highly instruc- 
tive painted grottoes. Good Etruscan collections exist at 
Cortona, Perugia, and above all in the Vatican. 



XII 
THE RESIDUUM 

f A ND what a residuum ! I have mentioned above 
Ljijl what seem to me on the whole the most important 
objects in Florence for a visitor whose time is limited to 
see ; but I do not by any means intend to imply that the 
list is exhaustive. On the contrary, I have not yet alluded 
to two groups of objects of the highest interest, which ought, 
on purely aesthetic grounds, to rank in the first order 
among the sights of Florence— the Medici Tombs, by 
Michael Angelo, in the New Sacristy at San Lorenzo ; and 
the famous Frescoes of the Brancacci Chapel, by Maso- 
lino, Masaccio, and Filippino Lippi. For I believe it is best 
for the tourist to delay visiting them till he has assimilated 
the objects already described ; and I hasten now to fill up 
the deficiency.] 

A. San Lorenzo and the Medici Tombs. 

A visit to these should be undertaken together. Go first 
to the Church, and afterwards to the Sacristy. 

Set out by the Cathedral and the Via Cavour. Turn L, 
by the Medici (Riccardi) Palace, down the Via Gori. Dia- 
gonally opposite it, in the little Piazza, is the church of San 
Lorenzo, the facade unfinished. Recollect (i) this is the 
Medici Church, close to the Medici palace ; (2) it is dedi- 
cated to the Medici Saint, Lorenzo or Lawrence, patron 
of the Magnificent. In origin, this is one of the oldest 
churches in Florence (founded 390, consecrated by St. 
Ambrose 393 :) but it was burned down in 1423, and re- 
erected by Lorenzo the elder after designs by Brunelleschi. 



XII.] THE RESIDUUM 245 

In form, it is a basilica with flat-covered nave and vaulted 
aisles, ended by a transept. Note the architrave over the 
columns, supporting the arches. The inner facade is by 
Michael Angelo. 

Walk straight up the nave to the two pulpits, R and L, 
by Donatello and his pupils. R pulpit, reliefs representing 
Christ in Hades, Resurrection, Ascension : at the back, St. 
Luke between the Buffeting and the Martyrdom of St. Law- 
rence. L pulpit, Crucifixion and Deposition : at the back, 
St. John, between the Scourging and the Agony in the 
Garden : at the ends, Entombment, Christ before Pilate, 
Christ before Caiaphas. Right transept, altar with fine 
"^marble tabernacle by Desiderio da Settignano. Near the 
steps of the Choir, plain tomb of Cosimo Pater Patriae. 

In the left transept a door leads to the Old Sacristy, 
by Brunelleschi : note its fine architecture and proportions. 
Everything in it refers either to St. Lawrence or to the 
Medici family. Above L door, statues of St. Stephen and 
St. Lawrence (buried in the same grave) with their symbols, 
by Donatello. Above R door, statues of the Medici Patrons, 
Cosmo and Damian, with their symbols, also by Donatello. 
On the L wall, beautiful terra-cotta bust of St. Lawrence by 
the same ; above it, coloured relief of Cosimo Pater Patriae. 
On the ceiling, in the arches, the Four Evangelists with 
their Beasts ; on the spandrels, scenes from the Life of John 
the Baptist, Patron of Florence, all in stucco, by Donatello. 
Round the room, pretty frieze of cherubs. Among the 
interesting pictures, notice, on the entrance wall, St. 
Lawrence Enthroned between his brother deacons, St. 
Stephen (with the stones) and St. Vincent (with the fetters), 
an inferior work of the School of Perugino. Several others 
refer to the same saints. On the bronze doors (by Dona- 
tello) are saints in pairs, too numerous to specify, but now 
easily identifiable ; on L door, top, observe St. Stephen and 
St. Lawrence. In the little room to which this door gives 
access is a Fountain by Verocchio, with the Medici balls ; 
also, a modern relief of the Martyrdom of St. Lawrence. In 
the centre of the Sacristy itself, as you return, hidden by a 



246 FLORENCE [xn. 

table, is the marble monument of Giovanni de' Medici and 
his wife, the parents of Cosimo Pater Patriae, by Donatello. 
To the L of the entrance is the monument of Piero de' 
Medici, son of Cosimo and father of Lorenzo, with his 
brother Giovanni, by Verrocchio. 

Return to Church. On your R, in the L transept, as 
you emerge, is an "^Annunciation by Filippo Lippi, with 
characteristic angels. In the left aisle is a large and ugly 
fresco of the Martyrdom of St. Lawrence, by Bronzino, who 
uses it mainly as an excuse for some more of his very un- 
pleasant nudes, wholly unsuited to a sacred building. Near 
it is a ^Singing Loft by Donatello and his pupils, recalling 
the architectural portion of his singing-loft in the Opera del 
Duomo. The Church contains many other interesting 
pictures ; among them, Rosso, Marriage of the Virgin, 
(second chapel R,) and a modern altar-piece with St. 
Lawrence, marked by the gridiron embroidered on his vest- 
ments. 

The Cloisters and the adjoining library are also worth 
notice. 

But the main object of artistic interest at San Lorenzo is 
of course the New Sacristy, with the famous Tombs of the 
Medici, by Michael Angelo. 

To reach them, quit the church, and turn to theL into the 
little Piazza Madonna. (The Sacristy has been secularised, 
and is a National Monument.) An inscription over the 
door tells you where to enter. Admission, 50c. 

The steps to the Sacristy are to the L, unnoticeable. 
Mount them to the Cappella dei Principi, well-propor- 
tioned, but vulgarly decorated in the usual gaudy taste of 
reigning families for mere preciousness of material. It was 
designed by Giovanni de' Medici, and built in 1604. 
Granite sarcophagi contain the bodies of the Grand Ducal 
family. The mosaics of the wall are costly and ugly. 

A door to the L leads along a passage to the New 
Sacristy, containing the ** Medici Tombs, probably the 
finest work of Michael Angelo, who also designed the 
building. R, Monument of Giuliano de' Medici, Due de 



XII.] THE RESIDUUM 247 

Nemours, representing him as a commander ; on the sarco- 
phagus, famous figures of *Day and **Night, very noble 
pieces of sculpture. L, Monument of Lorenzo de' Medici, 
Duke of Urbino, represented in profound thought ; on the 
sarcophagus, figures of ^Evening and **Dawn, equally 
beautiful. There is nothing, however, to explain in these 
splendid (unfinished) works, which I therefore leave to your 
own consideration. The other monuments which were to 
have filled the Sacristy were never executed. 

B. The Brancacci Chapel. 

[It is generally admitted that close inspection of the 
rescoesofthe Brancacci Chapel in the Carmelite church 
(Carmine) on the other side of the Arno, is indispensable to 
a right comprehension of the origin and development of 
Renaissance painting. Here first the Giottesque gives way 
to nascent realism. If possible, read up the admirable 
account in Layard's Kugler before you go, and after you 
come back. Also, read in Mrs. Jameson the story of 
Petronilla, under St. Peter. These brief notes are only 
meant to be consulted on the spot, in front of the pictures.] 

Cross the Ponte Santa Trinita to Santa Maria del 
Carmine— the church of Filippo Lippi's monastery. It was 
burnt down in 177 1, and entirely rebuilt, so that most of it 
need not detain you. But the Brancacci Chapel in the 
R transept survived, with its famous frescoes. These were 
painted about 1423 and following years by Masolino and 
his pupil Masaccio, and completed in 1484 by Pilippino 
Lippi. The earlier works mark time for the Renaissance. 
Many of the scenes contain several distinct episodes com- 
bined into one picture. 

R pillar, above ; Masolino, Adam and Eve in Paradise ; 
first beginnings of the naturalistic nude ; somewhat stiff and 
unidealised, but by no means without dawning grace and 
beauty. L pillar; above ; Masaccio, Adam and Eve driven 
from Eden ; far finer treatment of the nude ; better modelled 
and more beautiful. L pillar; below ; (I have my reasons 



248 FLORENCE [XII. 

for this eccentric order) Filippino Lippi, St. Paul visits St. 
Peter in prison. R pillar ; below ; Lippi again, an angel 
delivers St. Peter from prison. 

R wall ; above ; Masolino, St. Peter restores Tabitha to 
life, (or, much more probably, the Cure of Petronilla, St. 
Peter's invalid daughter — a curious and repulsive legend, 
for which see Mrs. Jameson) ; and, still in the same picture, 
L, the Healing of the Cripple at the Beautiful Gate. Maso- 
lino can be readily detected by the long and slender pro- 
portions of his figures, by his treatment of drapery, and 
often (even for the merest novice) by his peculiar capes and 
head-dresses. R wall ; below ; Lippi, the Martyrdom of 
St. Peter, also in two scenes ; L, St. Peter and St. Paul 
before the Roman tribunal ; R, the Crucifixion of St. 
Peter. 

L wall ; above ; Masaccio, the Tribute Money, in three 
successive scenes ; centre, the tax-gatherer demands the 
tax of Christ, who sends Peter to obtain it ; L, Peter catches 
the fish with the " penny " in its mouth ; R, he gives it to 
the tax-gatherer. Notice the every-day Florentine costume 
of the latter, as contrasted with the flowing robes of Christ 
and the Apostles, borrowed from earlier Giottesque pre- 
cedent (though of course with immense improvement in the 
treatment), and handed on later to Filippino Lippi, Fra 
Bartolommeo, and Raphael. L wall ; below ; partly by 
Masaccio, partly by Filippino Lippi, (Layard and Eastlake) 
double subject ; centre and L, Simon Magus challenges the 
Apostles to raise a dead youth to life ; they accept ; Simon 
tries, and fails ; St. Peter and St. Paul succeed ; from the 
Golden Legend : then, R, Homage paid to Peter, as in the 
Landini of the Uffizi. The 5 figures nearly in the centre, 
and the 10 figures about the kneeling naked boy are 
attributed to Filippino ; the rest, to Masaccio. Try to 
recognise their different hands in them. 

Altar wall ; L side ; above ; Masolino, Preaching of St. 
Peter : below, Masaccio, the Shadow of Peter (accompanied 
by John) curing the Sick and Deformed. R side ; above : 
Masaccio, St. Peter Baptising ; (famous nude, an epoch in 



XII.] THE RESIDUUM 249 

art ;) below, Masacao, St. Peter and St. John distributing 
alms ; at their feet, probably, the dead body of Ananias. 

Thoroughly to understand these frescoes, you should 
previously have seen Masolino's work at Castiglione d'Olona, 
(best visited from Varese.) But, in any case, if you com- 
pare Masolino's part in these paintings with previous 
Giottesque art, you will recognise the distinct advance in 
composition and figure-painting which he made on his 
predecessors ; and if you then look at his far greater 
scholar, Masaccio, especially in the subject of the Tribute 
Money, you will observe how much progress that original 
genius made in anatomy, drawing, modelling, conception of 
the nude, realistic presentment, treatment of drapery, and 
feeling for landscape. Read all this subject up in Layard's 
Kugler, the same evening, and then come again next day 
to revisit and reconsider. 

The Sacristy contains a series of frescoes from the life 
of St. Cecilia, closely coinciding in subject with those in the 
Uffizi, but with a few more scenes added. I think they 
need no further elucidation. They have been attributed to 
Agnolo Gaddi or to Spinello Aretino. 

In the cloister (approached by a door from the R aisle) 
you will find a ruined fresco by Masaccio of the Consecra- 
tion of this Church ; and a Madonna and Saints by Giovanni 
da Milano. 

C. The Annunziata 

In order fully to understand Andrea del Sarto, and to 
know what height can be reached by fresco, you must go to 
the Annunziata. 

The Church of the Santissima Annunziata, in the 
Piazza called after it, was originally founded in 1250, at the 
period when the cult of the Blessed Virgin was rapidly grow- 
ing in depth and intensity throughout all Christendom. As 
it stands, however, it is mainly of the 15th to the 17th century. 
Over the central door of the three in the portico is a mosaic 
by Davide Ghirlandajo, with the appropriate subject of the 
Annunciation. The church belonged to an adjacent Servite 
Monastery, to which the door on the left gives access. 



250 FLORENCE [XII. 

The central door leads to an atrium, after the early 
fashion, with a loggia doubtless intended to represent that 
in which the Annunciation took place, as seen in all early 
pictures. It is covered with frescoes, whose unsymmetrical 
modern glazed arrangement sadly obscures their original 
order. L of the main entrance, facing you as you enter, is 
the Nativity, with the Madonna adoring the Child, (ruined) 
by Baldovinetti, 1460 : (it was painted on a dry wall, and 
has crumbled away :) R the arrival of the Magi, by Andrea 
del Sarto, a very fine work, but with less refined colour than 
is usual with that master. The loggia to the R has frescoes 
of the History of the Virgin (patroness of the church) by 
Andrea del Sarto and his pupils. The series begins on the 
inner angle, next to the Arrival of the Magi : (1) **Birth of 
the Virgin, by Andrea del Sarto, 15 14 ; a noble work, with 
all the conventional features retained, St. Anne in bed, the 
basin, etc. (2) The Presentation in the Temple, never 
painted. (3) The Marriage of the Virgin, by Franciabigio, 
15 13, sadly damaged, but with the figures recalling the 
motives in the Fra Angelico. The angry suitor, rejected 
by Perugino and Raphael, here raises his hand to strike 
the Joseph, as in earlier treatments. (4) The Visitation, by 
Pontormo, 15 16, with the principal figures arranged as in 
Mariotto Albertinelli, but with no arch in the background, its 
place being taken by a scallop-shell niche of Renaissance 
architecture. (5) The Assumption of Our Lady, by Rosso 
Fiorentino, 15 17; inferior in colour and execution to the 
others. 

The series to the L, which also begins near the inner door- 
way, represents incidents in the Life of San Filippo Benizzi, 
the great saint of the Servites (1) *San Filippo is con- 
verted, divests himself of his worldly goods and clothing, 
and assumes the habit of the order, by Cosimo Rosselli ; 
less harsh than is his wont and with a fine treatment of the 
nude : compare with similar episodes in the Life of St. Fran- 
cis. (2) *San Filippo, going to Viterbo, divides his cloak 
with a leper, whom he cures, by Andrea del Sarto : the Ser- 
vite robes (really black, but treated as blue) lend themselves 



XII.] THE RESIDUUM 25 1 

admirably to the painter's graceful colouring. (3) "^Gam- 
blers who insult San Filippo are struck by lightning : Andrea. 
(4) *A woman possessed of a devil is exorcised by San 
Filippo. Also by Andrea. (5) *A dead child is resuscitated 
on touching the Saint's bier, by the same. This is a late 
instance of the dead and living figure being represented 
simultaneously in the same picture. (6) Children are healed 
of diseases by kissing his robes or relics ; again by Andrea, 
but less pleasing in colour. 

The interior of the church, with its double series of inter- 
communicating chapels, has been so entirely modernized 
and covered with gewgaws as to be uninteresting. To the 
left, as you enter, is the vulgarized Chapel of the Vergine 
Annunziata, covered with a baldacchino erected in 1448, 
from a design by Michelozzo, and full of ugly late silver- 
work. It contains, behind the altar, a miraculous 13th 
century picture of the Madonna. The last chapel but one 
on the left has a good Assumption of the Madonna in a 
mandorla, by Perugino : below are the Apostles, looking 
upward : the one in the centre is probably St. Thomas, but 
there is no Sacra Cintola. The angels are noteworthy. 
There is another Perugino, Madonna and Saints, in one of 
the Choir Chapels. 

The door to the L, in the portico, outside the church, 
gives access to the cloisters of the Servite Monastery, with 
many tombs of the order and others. In a lunette opposite 
you as you enter, under glass, is a **fresco of the Holy 
Family, by Andrea del Sarto, known as the Madonna del 
Sacco, and very charming. It represents the Repose on 
the Flight into Egypt, and takes its name from the sack of 
hay on which St. Joseph is seated. 

D. Santa Trinita. 

The exterior is uninteresting. The interior is good 
and impressive Gothic; about 1250; attributed to Niccolo 
Pisano. L aisle: 2nd chapel, copy of Raphael's (Dresden) 
Madonna di San Sisto. 3rd chapel, Annunciation, probably 
by Neri di Bicci. 4th chapel, altar-piece, Coronation of the 



252 FLORENCE [xil. 

Virgin, Giottesque ; the saints are named on their haloes. 
5th chapel, lean wooden penitent Magdalen in the desert, 
by Desiderio da Settignano, completed by Benedetto da 
Majano. R aisle, beginning at the bottom. 1st chapel, 
St. Maximin brings the Eucharist to St. Mary Magdalen in 
the Sainte Baume or cave. 3rd chapel, Giottesque Madonna 
and Child, with L, St. Andrew and St. Catherine ; R, St. 
Nicolas and St. Lucy. 4th chapel, closed by a screen ; 
excellent frescoes, much restored, probably by Don Lorenzo 
Monaco ; History of the Virgin, the usual series ; L wall, 
above, Joachim expelled from the Temple ; below, Joachim 
and Anna at the Golden Gate ; altar wall ; L, Birth of the 
Virgin ; R, her Presentation in the Temple ; altar-piece, 
certainly by Don Lorenzo, * Annunciation : R wall, below, 
Marriage of the Virgin ; above, her Death. Note also the 
frescoes on the vaulting. This is a good place to study 
Don Lorenzo ; compare these with the two similar earlier 
series by Taddeo Gaddi and Giovanni da Milano at Santa 
Croce. 5th chapel, *marble altar by Benedetto da Rovez- 
zano. In the transept, or rather, 2nd chapel R of High 
Altar (at the time of writing, cut off for restoration) known 
as the Chapel of the Sassetti, **frescoes from the life of 
St. Francis, by Dom. Ghirlandajo, 1485 ; subjects and 
grouping nearly the same as those of the Giottos in Santa 
Croce, with which compare these Renaissance adaptations. 
Begin at upper L compartment, and read round. (1) St. 
Francis quits his father's house, and renounces his inheri- 
tance. (2) Pope Honorius approves the Rules of the Order. 
(3) St. Francis offers to undergo the Ordeal of Fire before 
the Sultan. (4) St. Francis receiving the Stigmata ; Pisa 
and its Campanile in the background. (5) A local Florentine 
subject ; St. Francis restores to life a child of the Spini 
family, who had fallen from a window. The scene is in 
front of this very church ; in the background, the Palazzo 
Spini (now Vieusseux's library), and the (old) Ponte Santa 
Trinita. (6) Death of St. Francis. Compare this fresco in 
particular with the Giotto, the composition of which it closely 
follows. As usual, Ghirlandajo introduces numerous por- 



XII.] THE RESIDUUM 253 

traits of contemporaries ; if you wish to identify them, see 
Lafenestre. Before the altar, the donors, Francesco Sassetti 
and his wife, also by Ghirlandajo ; note that Francis is the 
donor's name-saint. On the ceiling, Sibyls. (The Adoration 
of the Shepherds, in the Belle Arti, by Ghirlandajo, was 
originally the altar-piece of this chapel.) The *tombs of 
the Sassetti are by Giuliano da Sangallo. 

£. Other Churches. 

Florence is so inexhaustible that for the other churches I 
can only give a few brief hints, which the reader who has 
followed me so far will now, I hope, be in a position to fill 
in for himself. 

Santo Spirito is an Augustinian church, attached to a 
monastery. It has 38 chapels, almost all with good altar- 
pieces ; the interior is vast and impressive ; mainly by 
Brunelleschi. St. Nicolas is here a locally important saint. 
(A neighbouring parish is San Niccolo.) The most remark- 
able pictures among many are, 5th chapel (beginning from 
R aisle), "^Madonna with St. Nicolas and St. Catherine, by 
Filippino Lippi ; and, 29th chapel, ^"^masterpiece of an un- 
known artist, the Trinity with St. Catherine and the penitent 
Magdalen, — a most striking work, remarkable for its ascetic 
and morbid beauty. For the rest, you must be content with 
Baedeker, or follow Lafenestre. Good cloisters. 

The Ognissanti is a Franciscan church, also attached to 
a monastery. It is dedicated to All Saints ; hence the 
character of the group in the Giovanni della Robbia which 
fills the lunette over the doorway. Its best pictures are a 
*St. Augustine by Botticelli, and a *St. Jerome by Dom. 
Ghirlandajo, — two doctors of the Church, the other two 
never finished, — on the R and L of the nave. The cloisters 
have frescoes from the life of St. Francis and Franciscan 
saints. The Refectory I will notice later. 

The Badia, opposite the Bargello, should be visited, by 
those who have time, for the sake of the glorious Filippino 
Lippi of the *"*Madonna appearing to St. Bernard, one of 
his earliest works, and perhaps his finest. It has also some 



254 FLORENCE [xil. 

beautiful tombs by Mino da Fiesole ; St. Leonard with the 
fetters in one of them will by this time be familiar. 

San Felice, San Niccolo, etc., you need only visit when 
you have thoroughly seen everything else in Florence. 

F. Minor Sights. 

Among these I must lump not a few works of very high 
value. 

A comparative study of the various representations of the 
Cenacolo (or Last Supper), usually in Refectories of sup- 
pressed monasteries, is very interesting. We have already 
seen those at Santa Croce (Giottesque) and at San Marco 
(Ghirlandajo.) There is a second Ghirlandajo, almost a 
replica, in the Refectory of the Ognissanti ; a notice marks 
the door, just beyond the church ; admission, daily, 25c. ; 
free on Sunday. The Franciscans wanted to have as good 
a picture as their Dominican brethren. The room contains 
several other interesting works both in painting and sculp- 
ture. A far more lovely Last Supper is that known as the 
** Cenacolo di Fuligno, in the Via Faenza ; notice on the 
door ; admission, as at the Ognissanti. It occupies the end 
wall of the Refectory of the old monastery of Sant' Onofrio, 
and belongs to the School of Perugino. It was once at- 
tributed to Raphael, and more lately has been assigned to 
Gerino da Pistoja ; if so, it is by many stages his finest work. 
Whoever painted it, however, it is one of the most beauti- 
ful things in Florence. Yet another Last Supper is to be 
found in the Refectory of the old Convent of Sant' Apol- 
lonia in the street of the same name ; it is by Andrea del 
Castagno, a large number of whose other works have lately 
been transferred hither, so that this little museum offers 
the best opportunity of studying that able and vigorous 
but harsh and soulless master. Admission, as in the two 
previous instances. See also the * Andrea del Sarto at San 
Salvi. I advise a visit to these four little shows in close 
succession. Read Mrs. Jameson on the subject beforehand, 
or take her with you. 

If possible, walk one day through the Hospital of Santa 



XII.] THE RESIDUUM 255 

Maria Nuova, founded by Folco Portinari (father of Dante's 
Beatrice), and full of memories of the Portinari family. 
Then, visit the little Picture Gallery of the Hospital (the 
Custode at the door conducts you to it ; 50c. each.) It con- 
tains many objects of interest, and two masterpieces. One 
is a ** triptych by Hugo van der Goes, the Flemish painter, 
produced for Tommaso Portinari, agent of the Medici at 
Bruges, and brought by him to Florence ; it is doubtless the 
finest Flemish work in the city. Centre, the Nativity, with 
St. Joseph (?) and adoring shepherds, as well as charming 
angels, and some exquisite irises. Every straw, every 
columbine, every vase in this admirable work should be 
minutely noticed. L wing, the donor's wife and daughter, 
presented by their patron saints, St. Mary Magdalen, with 
her alabaster box, and St. Margaret, with her dragon. R 
wing, the donor and his two sons, presented by St. Matthew 
(?) and St. Antony Abbot. It deserves long and attentive 
study. In the next room, Fra Bartolommeo and Mariotto 
Albertinelli, * Last Judgment, much damaged, but important 
as a link in a long chain of similar subjects. See in this con- 
nection the great fresco in the Campo Santo at Pisa, the one 
at Santa Maria Novella, by Orcagna, the panel here, to collate 
with it, and finally, Michael Angelo's marvellous moderniza- 
tion in the Sistine Chapel of the Vatican, which takes many 
points from this and the earlier representations. The rooms 
also contain several other interesting pictures. 

The Chapter-house of the Convent of Santa Maria Mad- 
dalena dei Pazzi (a local saint, belonging to the Pazzi 
family ; see Santa Croce), contains a noble ^^Crucifixion by 
Perugino, one of the finest single pictures in Florence. Ad- 
mission, daily, 25c. ; free on Sunday. It is in three com- 
partments. Centre, Crucifixion, with Mary Magdalen, kneel- 
ing : L and R, the Madonna and St. John, standing ; and St. 
Bernard and St. Benedict kneeling. The remarkable abstract- 
ness and isolation of Perugino's figures is nowhere more 
observable ; it comes out even in the three trees of the L 
background. 

The Spedale degli Innocenti, or Foundling Hospital, 



256 FLORENCE [XII. 

near the Annunziata, should be visited both for its charming 
babies, by Andrea della Robbia, and for its beautiful "^altar- 
piece of the Adoration of the Magi, with St. John Baptist 
of Florence presenting two of the massacred Innocents, by 
Dom. Ghirlandajo. This is a lovely and appropriate picture, 
the full meaning of which you will now be in a position to 
understand. (The church is dedicated to the Holy In- 
nocents.) The lovely landscape and accessories need no 
bush. In the background, the Massacre of the Innocents, 
the Announcement to the Shepherds, etc. A masterpiece 
to study. 

For everything else within the town, I must hand you 
over to Baedeker, Hare, Miss Horner, and Lafenestre. 

A stray afternoon may well be devoted to the queer little 
church of San Leonardo in Arcetri, outside the town, on 
the S. side of the Arno. To reach it, cross the Ponte Vecchio, 
and take the second turn on your L, under an arch that 
spans the roadway. Then follow the steep paved way of the 
Via della Costa San Giorgio (which will probably reveal to 
you an unexpected side of Florence). The Porta San 
Giorgio, which pierces the old walls at the top, has a fresco 
of the Madonna, between St. George and St. Leonard, the 
latter bearing the fetters which are his usual symbol : on its 
outer face is a good relief of St. George and the Dragon. 
(Note relevancy to the parishes of San Giorgio, below, and 
San Leonardo, above it.) Follow the road straight to the 
little church of San Leonardo on your L. (If closed, ring at 
the door of the cottage in the garden to the R of its facade.) 

The chief object of interest within is the pulpit, with 
rude reliefs of the 12th century, said to be the oldest surviv- 
ing pulpit-carvings, brought hither from San Pietro Scherag- 
gio, near the Palazzo Vecchio. It has been suggested that 
these quaint old works gave hints to Niccolo Pisano for his 
famous and beautiful pulpit in the Baptistery at Pisa. But 
it must also be remembered, first, that these subjects already 
shew every trace of being conventionalised, so that in all 
probability many such pulpits once existed, of which 
Niccolo's is only the finest artistic outcome ; and, second* 



XII.] THE RESIDUUM 257 

that the figure here which most suggests (or rather fore- 
shadows) Niccolo (the recumbent Madonna in the Nativity) 
is the analogue of the very one in which that extraordinary 
genius most closely imitated an antique model in the Campo 
Santo at Pisa. We may therefore conclude that Niccolo 
merely adopted a conventional series, common at his time, 
of which this is an early and inferior example, but that he 
marvellously vivified it by quasi-antique treatment of the 
faces, figures, draperies, and attitudes, at the same time that 
he immensely enriched the composition after the example of 
the antique sarcophagi. The series as it at present exists 
on this pulpit is out of chronological order, doubtless owing 
to incorrect putting together at the transference hither. 
The scenes are, from L to R, Presentation in the Temple ; 
Baptism of Christ ; Adoration of the Magi ; Madonna rising 
from the stem of Jesse ; Deposition from the Cross ; and 
Nativity. All should be closely observed as early embodi- 
ments of the scenes they represent. 

Among the older pictures in the church, the most interest- 
ing are, on the same wall, the Madonna dropping the Sacra 
Cintola to St. Thomas, attended by St. Peter, St. Jerome, 
etc. ; and, on the opposite wall, Madonna with St. Leonard 
(holding the fetters) and other saints readily recognised. 

You can vary the walk, on your return, by diverging just 
outside the gate and following the path which leads along 
the old walls, with delicious glimpses across the ravine 
towards the Piazzale, and re-entering the town at the Porta 
San Miniato. 



I am always grateful to a book, however inadequate, which 
has taught me something. Nobody could be more aware 
than its author of the shortcomings of this one. I shall be 
content if my readers find, among many faults, that it has 
helped to teach them how to see Florence. Others may 
know Florence more intimately : no one could love it better. 



INDEX 



Accademia delle Belle Arti, The, 

88-127, 
Albany, Countess of, 21, 22. 
Alberti, Leon Battista, 35. 
Albertinelli, Mariotto, 154. 
Alexander, The Dying, 182. 
Alfieri, 21. 
Andrea del Sarto, 101, 150, 154, 

186, 189, 193, 195, 199, 249-251. 
Annunziata, The, 249-251. 
Armour, Collections of, 205, 212. 
Arno, The, 13, 14. 
Arnolfo di Cambio, 19, 53. 

Badia, The, 253. 

Baptistery, The, 15, 53-62. 

Bargello, The, 205-222. 

Belle Arti, The, 17, 88-127. 

Bellini, 167. 

Benedetto da Rovezzano, 207. 

Benedict, St. , 236. 

Benozzo Gozzoli, 85-87. 

Boar, Sculpture of, 177. 

Botticelli, 98-105, 147-149, 155- 

157, 174, 175, 202, 253. 
Brancacci Chapel, The, 247-249. 
Bronzes, Collections of, 213-216. 
Brunelleschi, 53, 66, 184, 215, 245. 
Byzantine Pictures, 108, 134. 
Byzantine Sculpture, 212, 234. 

Campanile, The, 71, 232. 
Cantor ie, 68, 69. 
Capella Bardi, 27. 
Capella de' Pazzi, 31. 
Capella Peruzzi, 26. 
Carraud Collection, The, 210. 



Cathedral, The, 52-71. 
Cellini, Benvenuto, 131, 216. 
Cenacolo, The, 254. 
Chimaera, The, 241. 
Chiostro Verde, The, 45. 
Cimabue, 37, 109. 
Cima da Conegliano, 168. 
Correggio, 161. 
Cosmo Pater Patrice, 83. 
Cosmo de' Medici, 17. 
Cosmo, St., 16. 
Crucifix, The, 232, 233. 

Damian, St., 16. 
Dante, 14, 21, 67, 212. 
David of Donatello, The, 209. 
David of Michael Angelo, The, 94. 
David of Verrocchio, The, 214. 
Delia Robbia, 24, 25, 31, 66, 68, 

216-219. 
Dominicans, The, 16, 33, 72, 73. 
Don Lorenzo Monaco, 172. 
Donatello, 21, 30, 69, 131, 208- 

210, 215, 225, 226, 245, 246. 
Doors, Bronze, 56-61. 
Drawings, Collection of, 176. 
Duomo, The, 52-71. 
Diirer, 159, 162, 197. 

Egyptian Museum, The, 240. 
Etruscan Museum, The, 238-243. 
Etruscans, The, 13, 238. 

Fiesole, 13. 

Fra Angelico, 72, 74-77, 78-80, 

82, 83, 107, 1 18-125, 149, 155, 

174. 255. 



INDEX 



259 



Fra Bartolommeo, 73, 81. 
Francis of Assisi, St., 18. 
Franciscans, The, 16, 18. 
Francois Vase, The, 242. 
French Sculpture, 211, 212. 

Gaddi, Agnolo, 22, 28, no, 138. 
Gaddi, Taddeo, 23, 31, 49, no. 
Gems, Collection of, 164. 
Gentile da Fabriano, 106, 172. 
Ghiberti, 58-60, 66, 214, 215. 
Ghirlandajo, 40, 97, 115, 144, 174, 

252, 253, 256. 
Giorgione, 170, 171. 
Giotto, 26, 27, 28, 54, no, 112, 

212. 
Glass, 219. 
Greek Vases, 241. 
Guilds, The, 128, 223. 

Hermaphrodite, The, 182. 
Holbein, 162. 

Hospital of Santa Maria Nuova, 
253- 

Ivories, Collections of, 211, 213, 
214. 

Joseph, Patriarch of Constanti- 
nople, 37. 
Judith of Donatello, The, 131. 

Lawrence, St., 17, 244. 
Leonardo da Vinci, 144, 153, 

199. 
Limoges Enamels, 214. 
Lippi, Filippino, 38, 96, 97, 98, 

100, 103, 146, 151, 152, 211, 

246, 248, 253. 
Loggia dei Lanzi, The, 129, 130. 
Lorenzo de' Medici, 17, 247. 
Lorenzo di Credi, 145-149, 155. 
Lorenzo the Magnificent, 17. 

Machiavclli, 21. 

Madonna della Sedia, The, 191, 



Mantegna, 166. 

Martini, Simone, 137. 

Masaccio, 247-249. 

Masolino, 247-249. 

Medici, The, 16, 17, 73. 

Medici Palace, The, 84-87. 

Medici Tombs, The, 246. 

Medici Venus, The, 180. 

Memling, 162. 

Memmi, Lippo, 137. 

Michael Angelo, 21, 94, 160, 206, 

208, 232, 246. 
Michelozzo, 72, 219, 233. 
Mi no da Fiesole, 221. 
Mirrors, Etruscan, 241. 

Niobe, Sculpture Group of, 183. 

Ognissanti, The, 253. 
Opera del Dnomo, The, 68-71. 
Orcagna, 42, 43, 226-228. 
Or San Michele, 223-229. 

Palazzo Vecchio, The, 128, 129. 

Perseus of Cellini, The, 131. 

Perugino, 94-96, 159, 191, 255. 

Photographs, 50. 

Pisa, 14. 

Pisano, Andrea, 57. 

Pitti Palace, The, 184-204. 

Podesta, The, 205. 

Pollaiolo, 145. 

Portraits of Painters, 176. 

Pottery, 219, 240-242. 

Primavera, The, 99. 

Pulpits, 21, 234, 245, 256. 

Raphael, 157-159, 189-192, 194, 

i95» x 97- 
Rembrandt, 196. 
Reparata, St., 17. 
Riccardi Palace, The, 84-87. 
Roman Emperors, 179. 
Roselli, Cosmo, 96. 
kossellino, 235. 
j Rubens, 186, 192, 195. 



260 



INDEX 



Rucellai Chapel, The, 35, 37. 
Rucellai Palace, The, 34. 

St. George of Donatello, The, 209. 
San Leonardo in Arcetri, 256, 257. 
San Lorenzo, 244-249. 
San Marco, 72-87. 
San Miniato, 230-237. 
San Salvatore al Monte, 232. 
Santa Croce, 16, 17, 18-32. 
Santa Maria Maddalena dei Pazzi, 

255. 
Santa Maria Novella, 16, 17, 33- 

Santa Trinita, 251-253. 

Santo Spirito, 253. 

Sarcophagi, 178, 219, 242. 

Satyr, Statue of a, 180. 

Savonarola, 73. 

Sculpture at the Uffizi, 176-183. 

Sculpture at the Bargello, 206- 

222. 
Seals, Collection of, 222. 
Sebastiano del Piombo, 189. 
Sepolcreto, The, 44. 



Signorelli, Luca, 149. 
Signoria, The, 130-132. 
Silver Work, 214. 
Sodoma, 153. 

Spanish Chapel, The, 44-50. 
Spedale degli Innocenti, 256. 
Spinello, Arietino, 236. [44. 

Strozzi Chapel, The, 38, 39, 42- 
Strozzi Palace, The, 33, 34. 

Tabernacle, by Orcagna, 226- 

228. 
Tapestry, 219, 222. 
Titian, 159, 160, 165-171, 187, 

188, 192, 194, 196. 

Uffizi, The, 128-183. 

Van der Goes, Hugo, 255. 
Vandyck, 159, 191. 
Velasquez, 199. 
Venus, The Medici, 181. 
Veronese, 159, 165-171. 
Verrocchio, 102, 130, 214, 220. 

Wrestlers, Statue of, 180. 



Butler & Tanner, The Selwood Printing Works, Frome, and London. 



NOTES 



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